Did Paramount and Marvel Use a Paparazzi Photo in Iron Man?

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment didn’t love the paparazzi snooping around the set of its hit “Iron Man” during shooting. But did the studios fight back by using a stealthily-obtained (yet copyrighted) shot in the movie itself?

According to a new lawsuit filed by freelance photographer Ronnie Adams, the studios contacted his web hosts when he posted pictures from the set of the Robert Downey Jr. superhero movie. The studios wanted the photos down. The operator of the website refused, but the Internet service host took the site down for 16 hours.

Allegedly, the studios then learned to love the paparazzo’s photos. In the film, a newspaper is shown with the headline, “Who is this Ironman?” with one of Adams’ photographs allegedly on the cover.

In his complaint, Adams now says the studios “knowingly, willfully, and maliciously” removed the watermark on his photograph and used the picture without his permission in the movie and its electronic press kit.

If true, we gotta love the studios’ chutzpah in hitting back at the paparazzi where it hurts. Adams wants compensation for his work being used in a “pivotal scene.” His demand for relief includes stopping the forthcoming DVD and video game and awarding exemplary and punitive damages for this copyright infringement.

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