A legal battle that pundits claimed would have serious ramifications for paprazzi type photography in the US has been settled out of court reports newsday.
Jennifer Aniston, star of ‘Friends’ instigated legal proceedings against photographer Peter Brandt in December 2005 after he apparently took topless photos of her whilst she was at home.
In a statement Aniston testified that Brandt pictured her “covertly from a great distance … using powerful telephoto lenses” and that the pictures could only be taken “by means of trespass and/or through the use of an enhancement device,” thus violating her right to privacy.Brandt in reply said that the the images had been taken from the public street using conventional photographic equipment and that he was within his constituional rights to do so.
The case, if won by Aniston was widely expected to redefine the legal relationship between photographers and their subjects in the US.
However, in the event a settlement was made where Brandt has agreed not to publish the images.