Photo from Stig Havard Dirdal Instagram Account
Photo from Stig Havard Dirdal Instagram Account

News -

Rip-off or not: Makers of Russian movie Yolki 8 accused of copying "human Christmas tree" photo concept

Social media is filled with photos and videos used by people who do not seek permission from the original creators. Most recently, for example, a Russian production house was pinpointed as having copied the original concept of a photographer without bothering to tweak the original concept even slightly.

In December 2015, photographer Stig Havard Dirdal was hired by the Norwegian camera store Stavanger Foto to come up with a creative idea for their official Christmas card. He created the concept of a "human Christmas tree", which later went viral on the web.

He later realised that the same photo was being widely misused and eventually decided to get it registered in the United States in 2018.

In 2021, the Russian production house Bazelevs Productions released a comedy movie, Yolki 8, that was promoted and shown in Russia, Europe, and North America. The poster for this movie closely resembled Dirdal’s "human Christmas tree" concept.

Dridal, known for his creative and unusual photos, had been contacted by many companies in the past to re-use this photo idea, but he rejected many of those offers as he does not believe in using the original idea again.

As he believes that photographers make a living from their creative ideas, he made efforts to contact the Russian production house but received no response. So, he tried another tack and has garnered media attention from Norway, Europe, and Russia to alert people about the theft of his idea.

He even took a creative approach and asked the people who watched Yolki 8 to publicly indicate how much he should demand in return for his copyright from the production house. He has stated that his goal is not to make money but to make people aware that creativity must not be misused.

PitchMark helps innovators deter idea theft, so that clients get the idea but don’t take it. Visit PitchMark.net and register for free as a PitchMark member today.

Topics

Categories

Contacts

Mark Laudi

Mark Laudi

Press contact Managing Partner (+65) 6223 2249

Related content

Image on left from Beautyblender website, image on right from Avon website

Rip-off or not: How teardrop-shaped make-up sponges became all the rage

In a 2016 lawsuit, beauty company Avon admitted liability for infringing on Rea.deeming Beauty’s intellectual property rights. The object in question was a hot pink make-up sponge that Avon had named “Beauty Blender”. And as all make-up buffs know, the most famous Beautyblender (yes, that’s how it’s officially spelled) was invented by Rea Ann Silva, the founder of Rea.deeming Beauty.
Let’s sta

Image from Chi Modu Instagram account

Copyright holder of Biggie Smalls’ photos is being sued for unlawfully offering to sell products bearing his image and likeness

Heirs of hip-hop photographer Chi Modu and rapper Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, are entangled in a legal battle since Modu started using his 1996 Biggie Smalls’ copyright-protected photo for a snowboard deal with a Swiss company.
Biggie’s estate, Notorious BIG LLC, has recently accused Modu of using the “rapper’s likeness” and licensing it for use on “snowboards, t-shirts, shower

CTTO: ihearthollywood.com

teamLab sues a museum for copying its immersive art, but can it really be protected when the artwork itself is ever-changing?

Japanese art collective teamLab, founded in 2001 and known for creating 360-degree interactive software environments, has sued the Museum of Dream Space (MODS) for violating its copyrights.
teamLab’s museums have become popular over the years. In fact, its museum installations and other players such as Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrored Rooms” and the Color Factory are so successful that they ha

Image source: zhangjingna.com & todayonline.com

Singaporean photographer Jingna Zhang accuses Luxembourg student artist of plagiarizing her work for award-winning painting

Singaporean photographer Jingna Zhang, who is currently based in the United States, has filed a lawsuit against Luxembourg-based art student Jeff Dieschburg accusing him of painting a picture that is almost identical to a photo she shot in the past.
The artist has denied the plagiarism allegation, but he doesn’t deny taking inspiration from the photo. Zhang, on the other hand, believes a “perso

Source: Instagram account of Duan Mei Yue and Angelina Poveteva

Rip-off or not: Singaporean model accused Russian artist of using the likeness of her face on a topless body and exhibiting it for sale

Singaporean model Duan Mei Yue has accused Russian artist Angelina Poveteva of painting the likeness of her face on a topless body, and then exhibiting the painting at a Moscow art fair and selling it without her consent.
Duan published a two-minute video on social media to raise her concern along with the supporting evidence. She claimed that Poveteva had sold the painting to two buyers for US

How independent creators or screenwriters can safeguard their original ideas and negotiate better terms with the film industry

How independent creators or screenwriters can safeguard their original ideas and negotiate better terms with the film industry

The ongoing disruption in the film and television industry has changed the way movies are produced, distributed, and consumed. With the proliferation of subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) and Over the Tops (OTTs), the demand for original as well as regional content has increased enormously, which in turn has opened up a gamut of opportunities for independent creators.
Gone are the days w

South Indian blockbuster Kantara accused of ripping off music band Thaikkudam Bridge’s song

South Indian blockbuster Kantara accused of ripping off music band Thaikkudam Bridge’s song

Hit Indian movie Kantara has been accused of plagiarism by popular music band Thaikkudam Bridge, which has alleged that the song Varaha Roopam from the film is a copy of its song Navarasam with its identical melody and chords.
The band took to social media to express their frustration.
It shared the album cover of their music alongside the poster of Varaha Roopam on Instagram to inform thei

How Copytrack’s bot wrongly accused US White House photographer of stealing a photo clicked by himself

How Copytrack’s bot wrongly accused US White House photographer of stealing a photo clicked by himself

Former United States’ White House photographer Pete Souza had been threatened with copyright litigation for publishing a photo he took of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on his personal website. However, it was later revealed that the takedown notice was erroneously sent by the software bot of a copyright tracking firm.
The photo in question was taken by Mr Souza while onboard Air Force One i

Litigation update: Photographer Jingna Zhang loses plagiarism case against Luxembourg student artist who ripped off her work

Litigation update: Photographer Jingna Zhang loses plagiarism case against Luxembourg student artist who ripped off her work

Singaporean photographer Jingna Zhang’s lawsuit against a Luxembourg-based art student Jeff Dieschburg accusing him of copying her work has been rejected by the district court in Luxembourg.
According to Luxembourg media outlet Delano, the court determined that Zhang's photograph did not meet the requirements to be covered by Luxembourg or European copyright law, asserting that “there was insuf

Let your clients get the idea, without taking it.

PitchMark deters idea theft and provides you with options if it happens.

PitchMark protects the expression of your original concepts, designs, proposals, business plans, creative pitches, music - in short, any idea that you conceived and published, and claim as your own. It gives you peace-of-mind by signalling to whoever you share it with that you are its creator, and that you wish to be respected as such.

If you receive or evaluate ideas or pitches, join PitchMark as a sign of your commitment to respect the Intellectual Property rights of their creators. Attract more in-depth pitches from a wider range of sources. Highlight your PitchMark membership in your Sustainability or CSR Report.

PitchMark

Find out more