Fashion designer Galliano fined for copying imagery

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Fashion designer Galliano fined for copying imagery

PARIS (Reuters) - Fashion designer John Galliano was ordered to pay
200,000 euros ($271,800) in damages to renowned U.S. photographer
William Klein for unauthorized use of his atmospheric imagery in an
advertising campaign.

The photographer, who lives in France said he was "furious" at
Galliano's use of some of his half-painted photographs of street scenes
in advertisements in several fashion magazines.

Klein's giant versions of contact sheets showing a series of
photographs, painted over in colored enamel to highlight particular
images, were a popular feature of a recent exhibition at the Pompidou
Centre in Paris.

The court of first instance in Paris said Klein's "painted contacts"
were a hallmark of his work and Galliano's use of imagery was clearly
illegal in the absence of authorization from the photographer.

It ordered the designer to pay 150,000 euros to compensate for abuse of
Klein's rights as author and 50,000 euros in damages to the image of
the work that resulted from the poor quality of the reproductions.

Klein told the daily Le Monde he had first become aware of the campaign
when a friend asked him why he had authorized the use of his pictures
in an advertisement.

He called the reproductions of his work "gross plagiary" and said: "I
am insulted and furious."

Galliano was appointed designer at Givenchy in 1995 before switching to
Christian Dior the following year. He also has a label that bears his
name.

Klein said he was particularly offended because Dior has led a
relentless campaign against illegal reproductions of its own creations.