Rocker Ozzy Osbourne is being sued for copyright infringement for social media posts featuring unlicensed photos of himself.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Los Angeles federal court, alleges that Osbourne shared multiple images taken by rock photographer Neil Zlozower without permission or proper licensing, according to Billboard. Lawyers for Zlozower claim Osbourne posted the photos on Facebook, Instagram, and X without paying the required fees.
"The accounts are key components of defendant's popular and lucrative commercial enterprise," the lawsuit states. "Defendant has over 12 million followers on [Facebook], and over 6 million followers on [Instagram], and over 5 million followers on [X] — all of which are monetized and provide significant financial benefits to defendant."
Copyright law typically grants ownership of a photo to the photographer, not the subject. Celebrities do not automatically have the right to use or share images of themselves without permission or licensing.
The lawsuit came as Osbourne, 76, prepares to reunite with his band Black Sabbath for one final show at a fundraising concert in Birmingham, England, on July 5. He has mostly been forced to stop touring due to a combination of Parkinson's and spinal injuries. Before the concert, he shared an update on his battle with Parkinson's disease.
"I go on about the way I can't walk, and I can't do this," Osbourne told co-host Billy Morrison on Monday's episode of their SiriusXM radio show "OZZY Speaks," according to E! News. "But you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I'm still alive."
Osbourne also took the time to acknowledge everything he had achieved.
"I may be moaning that I can't walk as well, but as I look down the road, there's people that didn't do half as much as me and they didn't make it," he said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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