Lawsuit Tests Whether Twitter Pictures Are Free For The Taking

In the past year, news agencies have grown accustomed to re-broadcasting content posted on Twitter to help cover breaking news. But a lawsuit over photos of the Haiti earthquake may prove to be an early test of what kind of rights users of Twitter and related services retain to their content.

The Agence France-Presse wire service has insisted that it has the rights to use Daniel Morel's photos of the Haiti earthquake without Morel's approval—all because the photographer used the TwitPic and Twitter services to try and sell his work. If the AFP's argument is successful, it could mean that content creators who use Twitter to disseminate images could be putting their copyright at risk. But observers are skeptical that AFP will succeed in its argument that Morel's photos are now available to all without charge.

The case is being heard in the Southern District Court of New York.