Photographer John Carta has dropped his lawsuit against Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais, without Beauvais needing to appear in court. Carta had sued Beauvais in May after she used his photos on her Facebook without permission or payment. Carta claimed that Beauvais had financially benefited from the photos and that she violated copyright laws.
Photographer John Carta has dropped his lawsuit against Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais without going to court, where he accused her of using his photos without permission or payment on her Facebook page, thus benefiting financially from them.
Title: Lawsuit Dropped Against Real Housewives Star Garcelle Beauvais Over Unauthorized Photos
Renowned photographer John Carta has decided to drop his legal action against Garcelle Beauvais, one of the stars of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The lawsuit, which alleged the unauthorized use of Carta’s captured images, was dismissed without Beauvais ever having to appear in court. According to court documents, Carta informed a federal court judge of his intention to drop all claims against the reality star, with the dismissal being final, meaning the claims cannot be refiled in the future.
The legal dispute emerged when Carta sued Beauvais back in May after she used photographs of herself taken by him without permission or compensation on her Facebook account. As a professional photographer, Carta’s livelihood relies on selling photos to third parties. He had captured the images of Beauvais as she roamed the streets of New York City in 2022, describing the shots as depicting her “standing with her hand out in the streets of NYC carrying a handbag while wearing denim shorts and a black satin-like blouse.”
As part of his lawsuit, Carta claimed ownership of the copyright for those photographs. Despite legally owning the rights, Carta alleged that Beauvais had utilized the images on her social media profile, presumably to her financial advantage. Carta’s suit argued that he labored diligently to create the photos, carefully considering factors such as subject matter, lighting, timing, angle, perspective, depth, lens, and camera equipment used to capture the images. By using the photographs without permission, Beauvais was accused of knowingly violating United States copyright laws.
Interestingly, this is not the first time a Real Housewives cast member has faced legal action over image use. Lisa Rinna, a former friend of Beauvais, recently settled a similar lawsuit just as it was due to be heard in court. Additionally, supermodel Bella Hadid was sued by a photographer earlier this month for posting his work on her Instagram page, leading to lost revenue from licensing as the images circulated among her extensive following.
The dropping of the lawsuit against Garcelle Beauvais marks a significant development in this legal battle. However, it brings attention to the ongoing challenges faced by artists who often rely on the protection of their creative works to earn a living. Copyright infringement cases continue to highlight the need for greater awareness and understanding of intellectual property laws in the realm of social media and celebrity endorsements.