Photo District News reporter Daryl Lang reports in todays PDN Newswire about how a model is mad at Maxim Magazine for using a photo of her on the cover of it’s upcoming June 2006 issue. The photo was licensed to Maxim through Corbis Outline, an editorial division of the giant agency.
It seems the model doesn’t have a problem with the photo(s), as similars had been shot and used in another overseas publication. Instead, she has a problem with Maxim.
For those that don’t know, Maxim is like Playboy with a few clothes left on, or merely dangling around the models.
Lang writes in his article:
Varekova’s complaint draws light to the common practice of reusing photos shot for one magazine in another market. (…) Varekova told the AP that she was fine with British GQ using her photo in a fashion feature, but says she doesn’t personally like Maxim. A spokesperson for Varekova told the New York Daily News that the model has turned down requests to appear on the covers of Maxim, FHM and Playboy. The articles also said Varekova is considering legal action.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the future, and I’m sure that PDN will keep us posted on future developments. In my own opinion, this will probably depend greatly on how the original release was written. That will determine whether the model has any legal ground to object to the photo use, or if she gets stuck just raising a proverbial stink in the wind. Apparently none of the other parties are rushing to the microphones, but the article basically says that while Corbis takes releases very seriously, it and Maxim believed they licensed the image in good faith.
Personally I think the model may just be raising a ruckus, and that unless the release she previously signed has some very specific language, she might just wind up getting the shirt taken right off her back. Maybe when this all shakes out, we’ll finally know The Naked Truth. However, in these days of completely incestious media relations, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this turned out to be a well coordinated escapade designed to stir up some free publicity. If that’s the case, someone feel free to yank that rusty fish hook out of my cheek.
(Maxim cover © Maxim/Photo by Michael Williams, Corbis Outline) Reproduced here in small part soley for the purpose of commentary and criticism.
