Don't be fooled for a minute. This countersuit is not about Prince "winning." It's about at best, a settlement, and at worst making the suit too expensive for the plaintiff to continue pursuing by submitting a mountain of paper work.
Believe that.

S

Redayh said:

Good point. It's all legal maneuvering, which is what you do when you know
your ass is G-U-I-L-T-Y!!!!

madartista said:

Did the boy sue the bodyguard too, or just Prince?

madartista said:

yeah!!!!

madartista said:

No, I didn't leave it out, because if that's how it happened then it's already understood by those who have followed the story. It's the reason I said it.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

you can join us on the defense for your unwavering support!!!!!

madartista said:

i'll be carryin a big ol' picket sign and chanting "one p, two l's!!" outside of the courthouse.

Supernova said:

I'm sorry -- I misread/misunderstood what you wrote.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

you'll definitely be called as a witness -- your role as moderator gives you
insight into the vast mispelling abuse that the victim has faced thoughout
the years.

If the kid wins the case and Prince has to give back the camera, will the kid automatically get a free copy of Musicology with it?

More importantly, can that count as a sale on the Billboard charts?

I personally think this is a joke and Prince is a joke for pulling a stunt like that.There is no law that says you cannot take someone's picture. i have taken pictures of many celebrities including Prince (several times to be exact) I wish Prince's people would try to take my camera.iI go to alot of different events, most times i get the permission of the celebrity to take their picture. Prince can be a real asshole at times.I was around time at the bamboozled premier in nyc and kid ask for his autograph and he refused and then he wants to preach about the bible , i don't think so.

Supernova said:

But what can you do?

Anxiety said:

As always, Anxiety gets right to the point.



Although I'm guessing the plaintiff, judge and jury ALL get Musicology
REGARDLESS of outcome and YES, all count for Billboard! See, no
matter what, PRINCE wins!!!!!

Anxiety said:

madartista said:

this pretty much sums it up for me.

if you don't want to be treated like a celebrity, don't become one.

i can understand if someone were trying to take a picture of his kid or even his wife or someone in his family who's not necessarily considered "in the public eye".

but the man is a public figure and he was in a public place. period.

i wish the best for prince and i don't mean the man any harm, but i really think the man deserves a good sound spanking in court over this.

50,000$ you say? That's ridiculous! The kid actually stands a chance to pay up that amount of money in the coming years when he's going to graduate from university and get a decently paid job. I say 500,000$ would be the smallest sensible amount of money Prince could sue him for.

What a jerk. Anyone who pays good money for a photoshoot like the one below doesn't deserve to complain about getting his picture taken by an amatuer.

AsianBomb777 said:

we have ourselves a winner, people.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Kudos!

You cannot copyright a human being, Prince, ya dolt!

Another proof that our Prince just hasn't greased the gears today.

Imagine, I go to Disneyland and take pictures there. Disney later sues me for 'copyright violations' because they own Disney. This is just as stupid of a countersuit.

Prince may get the moron of the year award for this one.

Redayh said:

That's an interesting take on it. Didn't think about it. I won't get it twisted...

For it's worth, check out the following quote from this story in the startrib (you might need to register to read the article):



Did they really turn the camera in, and is the kid really refusing to pick it up? Who knows. Yeah Prince (or his bodyguard at least) is a jackass for the countersuit, and taking the camera in the first place, but this kid is being a litle opportunistic in my opinion if the camera is just waiting for him at some airport desk.

But hey, if they lied about turning the camera in, or only did so just recently, then sue Prince's ass, boy

Prince countersues in privacy fight over student's camera
Chao Xiong, Star Tribune
June 15, 2004 PRINCE0615




The rock star Prince has denied allegations that he instructed his bodyguard to assault a college student who took his photo, claiming the man invaded his privacy and violated trademark and copyright law.

In a counterclaim filed Monday, the Chanhassen musician rebuked allegations levied in an April lawsuit filed by Anthony Fitzgerald of Edina.

Fitzgerald sued Prince and his bodyguard for damages in excess of $50,000 over a Dec. 29, 2003, incident at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Fitzgerald claims that he was assaulted and that his new digital camera was confiscated when he took a photo of Prince as the rock star was getting off a plane.

Prince's countersuit, which also seeks in excess of $50,000 in damages, is based on a weak premise that will be difficult to win, said Minneapolis media attorney Marshall Tanick.

"Generally, no one has a right of privacy in a public space, especially a celebrity," Tanick said, adding that airports are public spaces. "You can't copyright yourself. It sounds like he's [Prince] not tuned into the law."

University of Minnesota Law School Prof. Dan Burk said Prince has no grounds to claim violation of copyright or trademark laws or invasion of privacy. In this case, said Burk, who specializes in intellectual property and copyright law, the copyright belongs to Fitzgerald because he fixed Prince's image in a tangible medium. Trademarks are used to distinguish products belonging to certain brands and would only pertain to this case if Fitzgerald tried to sell the photo he took as a product endorsed by Prince, Burk said.

"I think if anybody's going to be in trouble here, it's going to be Prince and his bodyguard," Burk said. "Maybe what they're trying to do is get the other fellow to settle."

Prince's suit would have more merit if Fitzgerald used the photo for commercial gain, Tanick said. But acting on a suspicion of such use, especially when the camera was confiscated, is "extremely premature," he said.

"I think his [Prince] case would be very stifling for freedom of the press and freedom of speech," Tanick said.

Prince's lawyer, Kristen Naros said that Fitzgerald's camera was turned in to the investigative detective at the airport but that Fitzgerald has refused to claim it.

"His [Fitzgerald] claim has no legal basis and we will be fighting this in court," Naros said.

Fitzgerald's attorney could not be reached for comment.

Okay, for what it's worth ...here's my take on all of this. As a result of the choices I've made in my professional life, I too have experienced some of this. I'm not saying that I'm a "Star" like Prince (if I was I'd be charging you for the priviledge of reading this), but what I have become is a sort of quasi-celeb, with some rather unsavory undertones. Most admirers are rather nice, even sweet, but others have been really intrusive (disrupting intimate dinner dates, club excursions with friends, etc.). Usually all it takes to diffuse the situation is a brief moment of kindness and civility. A friendly inscription on a photo, poster or video box cover, or a second's pose for an admiring flashbulb and, not only have you boosted your own PR, but you've quite possibly made a person very happy.
I'm not going to say that it isn't a pain in the @$$ sometimes, but an admirer is not a psychic and just because you're having a bad day (which we're ALL entitled to) doesn't mean that a person you meet (in a PUBLIC place mind you) knows that. Thet just want to make a connection, however brief, with the object of their desire. Not a lot to ask for if you give it some thought as you walk away sparkling like a Star with the bling that was bought with the money that this kind of attention brings.
As for me, I made a conscious decision to take this on. I was aware of the price I might pay. That's MY signature on the artist release forms and I accept the consequences of my actions. That's being an adult. And, frankly, half the time, this kind of admiration is EXACTLY what gets me THRU a lot of those "bad days".
My advice for Prince would be to show some class ~ buy the guy a new, better camera, give him some exclusive pics and walk away a bigger and better man for it. All it takes is a little graciousness to make the World a better place.....Live 4 Love.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

ROFL!!!!! That's for damn sure! Prince would have such a big "new one", he would have difficulty walking after dealing with Judge Judy. She doesn't put up with any mess.

psychodelicide said:

man, i saw the show where JOHNNY ROTTEN came on as a plaintiff and HE tried to give her some lip...he walked out of that courtroom with a limp!

syren999 said:

Let the guy practice what he preaches and take a step toward positivity.

Can someone please explain to me, like I'm a four-year-old, how there can be any copyright infringement when the camera (with the photo) was confiscated???

I'm thinking of bringing a sign to Wednesday show that reads, "Prince: Thou Shall Not Steal".

lovemachine said:

I'd give you under 5 minutes before your sign is confiscated!!!!