The pose or the picture: Photographer sues Detroit Lions for using copyrighted image to create famous Barry Sanders statue

DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 17: Barry Sanders statue outside of Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on September 17, 2023. Credit: DeeCee Carter/MediaPunch /IPX

DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 17: Barry Sanders statue outside of Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on September 17, 2023. Credit: DeeCee Carter/MediaPunch/IPX (via AP)

A professional photographer who snapped an iconic image of Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders has sued the football team for copyright infringement, alleging the organization used the photo without consent when creating a statue memorializing the Hall of Famer.

In a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York, veteran photographer Allen Kee says the iconic sculpture of Sanders outside of Ford Field is based on a 1995 photo he took during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Seeking a permanent injunction that would stop the Detroit Lions and a host of other defendants from displaying, copying or promoting the work, Kee says at the time he took the picture, he was a freelance photographer.

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