Amy Taylor and photographer Jamie Nelson have settled their dispute over photographs of the Amyl and the Sniffers vocalist. Nelson retains the copyright and may continue selling the images, according to the band.
How the dispute began
Nelson photographed Taylor for a July 2025 Vogue Portugal series titled “Champagne Problems.” Nelson claimed to be the images’ creator and sole copyright holder.
After a third party connected to Taylor publicly shared one photograph without permission, Nelson sent cease-and-desist notices to Taylor and the band. Taylor later filed a civil lawsuit when Nelson offered a selection of the photographs as “fine art prints” on her website, claiming Nelson lacked authorization to sell them.
In September, US District Judge George H. Wu dismissed Taylor’s federal false-association claim with prejudice.
Settlement terms
The parties reached a mutual settlement on 28 October and dismissed their remaining claims. The band said no money changed hands. Under the settlement, Nelson retains copyright and may continue selling the photographs for commercial profit.
A “Covenant Not to Sue” prevents Taylor and the band from bringing further legal action over specified uses of the images.
Nelson said: “This case was never just about my photographs. It was about First Amendment rights, freedom of artistic expression, and the fundamental right of an artist to create, exhibit, and sell their original work without intimidation. I fought to defend those principles, not just for myself, but for every independent artist who has ever been pressured into silence.”
Amyl and the Sniffers said: “What Jamie Nelson was fighting for, in our view, was the right to exploit Amy Taylor’s name, face and fame for staggering profit. All we were fighting for was Amy’s right to say no. But frankly, this is not worth our time, our money or our attention anymore.”
