According to Philip Warner’s Lithium Picnic Studio news blog, the former Suicidegirls photographer is being sued for “shooting apnea and allegedly operating her www.apneatic.com site.” Presumably, Suicidegirls feels that he has violated the terms of his contract with them and they are therefore taking him to court in Oregon.
On the one hand, he gained a great deal of his popularity and support through shooting content for their site over the years and now it would appear that he’s taking that fanbase and potentially competitive inside information off to start his own thing, which is exactly what a noncompete clause is in place to protect against. On the otherhand, Suicidegirls contracts are notoriously heavy handed when it comes to issues of exclusivity and their terms of noncompete
Obviously, a lot of the details are not available at this time, but we are interested to hear what APN readers thoughts are on the matter. On the one hand, is it fair for a photographer to kickstart his career by taking thousands of dollars and all the access and information a company can give him and then turn around and try to use those resources, including a model that company made popular, to then directly compete with that company, even if that company has made it very clear what their stance on competition is?
On the otherhand, is it fair for a company to only pay a photographer for a few years, benefit greatly from his work during those years, and then demand that no one else ever be able to benefit from that photographer’s work to the point where the photographer is not able to get compensation for taking photographs ever again, not even if he is taking pictures of his own wife?
I’ve never seen the photographers contract but I know that the ones for models are absurd. I don’t see what the issues is. It’s his photography, how can SG tell him where or how he can sell it? But then again I also think it’s insane that they tell the models where or how they can work.
I guess playing with the big dogs always gets you bit. If only money carried integrity. Maybe SG will lose popularity, but someone once told be no publicity is bad publicity as long as they spell your name right.
This is crazy! SG can’t possibly expect a photographer to live off the peanuts that they throw out. How can a photographer live off thousands of dollars over the course of 3 years? Photographers need to either be paid a respectable amount to stay with one company or be allowed to work with many sites. SG is the devil and needs to be taken down a notch. The only problem is that now Lithium Picnic is going to use up all his money and energy fighting this. Unfortunately the court system is very expensive if you try to fight anything, including a suit that you know you can win. Most people lose even if the judge rules in their favor. I just hope Lithium Picnic fares well.
“potentially competitive inside information”?
There are no trade secrets. I shoot dressed, undressing, and nude girls. I did it before SG and I’ll probably continue to do it until I die.
My site is not a paysite.
LP
This BS legal action wouldn’t hold up in a California Courtroom.
it’s ludicris! LP was the best thing SG ever had. it is a crime that he’s been stripped of his resources to create such beautifully vivid work. i know he will prevail, and that it will make his work even better when it is all said and done. from what i’ve seen of his work, he’s not a man that can be broken that easily. i used to like SG. now i’m gonna have to cancel my membership. he is by far my favorite photographer, and it makes my stomach turn that they are trying to destroy him.