Copyright Infringement of Photographs on E-commerce Platforms

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving landscape of e-commerce, protecting intellectual property rights, particularly in the realm of photography, has become increasingly vital. This article delves into the complex issue of copyright infringement on e-commerce platforms, with a specific focus on the concept of intermediary liability. While e-commerce platforms offer unparalleled convenience and global reach to consumers, they also present formidable challenges in upholding the rights of content creators, especially photographers. The article uniquely emphasizes the concept of intermediary liability in the context of e-commerce platforms. This focus is particularly relevant given the widespread use of these platforms in today’s digital marketplace. One of the significant contributions of this study is the comparative analysis of case law from different jurisdictions concerning intermediary liability for copyright infringement. This cross-jurisdictional examination helps illustrate how courts in various countries address similar issues, offering insights into potential harmonization of legal standards and guiding principles for future legislation and litigation. The research identifies specific challenges faced by photographers and copyright holders, such as the difficulty in monitoring vast quantities of online content and enforcing rights across multiple jurisdictions. The article sheds light on the broader impact of copyright infringement on the photography industry. The research offers practical recommendations and strategies to address copyright infringement on e-commerce platforms. These include leveraging automated image recognition technologies, establishing clear guidelines and protocols for sellers, and implementing efficient mechanisms for reporting and removing infringing content.

Received: 11 March 2024 | Revised: 9 July 2024 | Accepted: 24 July 2024

Conflicts of Interest 

The author declares that she has no conflicts of interest to this work.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support this work are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Author Contribution Statement

Anna Pokrovskaya: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Resources, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition.