Universal Music Group is currently in a legal battle after posting a photo of Tupac.
Billboard reports that the estate of the legendary Hip-Hop photographer Chi Modu is suing UMG for using one of his photos of the late rapper on its website without proper credit.
The Lawsuit At Hand
On June 24, the estate’s trustee Sophia Modu filed the lawsuit against Universal Music following its blog post “Best Tupac Songs: 26 Essential Tracks.” According to the outlet, the credit for the photo of Tupac in the post was given to Universal Music Archives instead of Chi Modu.
Originally published on June 16, 2019, UMG and the site were hit with a cease and desist on February 9, 2022, before it went on to republish the post on June 16, 2022 — Tupac’s birthday that recently passed.
In the complaint, it claims that Modu’s estate threatened a lawsuit and the “Defendants failed to meaningfully respond.”
What started as a threat is now a full-blown lawsuit, which is claiming copyright infringement by UMG and 10 unnamed co-defendants. Also, the complaint alleges that the defendants profited from the copyrighted work and “violated 17 U.S. Code 1202 by removing Modu’s copyright information from the photograph before publishing it.”
The estate is requesting a jury trial and award of all profits, fees, and damages — which the outlet states can reach up to $150,000 per violation.
The Estate’s Statement On The Legal Battle
“Chi Modu’s photography captured moments of profundity and grace,” an attorney for the estate, Scott Burroughs said in a statement, according to the outlet. “While it does not surprise me that it would appeal to Universal, we are disappointed that the company did not reach out to the Estate to procure a license before exploiting Mr. Modu’s work on its commercial website. We look forward to addressing this infringement in court.”
Honoring Chi Modu
Modu, known as the photographer who defined hip hop in the 90s, died at age 54 last year.
Among his top images are The Notorious B.I.G. in front of the twin towers, Tupac Shakur, eyes closed and arms in the air, Mobb Deep, huddled with friends on the rooftop of a Queensbridge housing project. Nas, reflective in his childhood bedroom. Members of the Wu-Tang Clan, gathered in a circle and staring down at the camera, sharpness in their eyes.
He worked primarily with The Source, which at the time was the bible of Hip Hop. The magazine showcased a new generation of rap superheroes, and Mr. Modu was capturing them as they changed gears.
In 2017 Modu wrote that Tupac was his best photograph in The Guardian, “Muhammad Ali and Pac both worked a lot with certain photographers. They didn’t restrict the copyright and gave them complete freedom. They understood the importance of flooding the universe with images of powerful young black men. It’s also the reason they both feel so alive today. I’m bored with modern hip-hop photography – it’s rappers just rocking the same Supreme or Nike shit. That gets corny. It’s pretty at the expense of substance, and pretty doesn’t last.”
