David LaChapelle vs. Rihanna Court Date Set
David LaChapelle doesn't seem too flattered ...
The famed photographer, whose provocative images appear almost to the letter in the music video for Rihanna’s hit single “S&M,” is taking the Bajan beauty to court, with a pre-trial date set for August 10 in New York. LaChapelle is suing for unspecified damages.
"Musicians commonly pay to sample music or use someone's beats and there should be no difference when sampling an artist's visuals,” the lensman said, according to the Telegraph, adding that it’s “not personal, it’s strictly business.”
"Both works share the frantic and surreal mood of women dominating men in a hypersaturated, claustrophobic domestic space,” the cases’ judge, Shira A. Scheindlin wrote. “Thus, I find that an ordinary observer may well overlook any differences and regard the aesthetic appeal of ‘Striped Face’ [a photograph by LaChapelle] and the ‘Pink Room Scene’ [from Rihanna’s video] as the same." (The Daily Mail has several side-by-side comparisons of LaChapelle and Rihanna images.)
In related news, check out the signer's less controversial “California King Bed” video.
