Spotify, the music streaming service is being sued by Dutch photographer Dana Lixenberg over its use of an image of The Notorious BIG.
Lixenberg filed a complaint in Californian federal court yesterday (June 3), as revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, accusing Spotify of copyright infringement by using one of her photographs of Biggie on their Notorious BIG page (see court image below). The photographer is looking to claim profits, statutory damages, costs and to have her attorneys' fees covered.
"Not content to solely rip off the musicians on whose backs Spotify has built an eight billion dollar company," Lixenberg stated, "Spotify has expanded its efforts to also include ripping off photographers."
She continued: "A comparison of the Subject Photograph with the Accused Image reveals that the elements, composition, colours, arrangement, subject, lighting, angle, and overall appearance of the images are identical or at least substantially similar."
The late rapper was in the news recently linked to singer Faith Evans.
ARHT Media officially landed the rights to produce the hologram in a joint venture with ByStorm Entertainment, the company that handles Biggie's estate.
Commenting in a statement, Faith Evans said of the project, "After seeing all the technologies out there, I realized right away that ARHT Media would be the best partner to bring back Notorious BIG"
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