A messy legal dispute between Amyl and the Sniffers singer Amy Taylor and a US photographer has come to an end.
The parties have settled the matter out of court, which began last year, with both sides’ remaining claims dismissed.
Photographer Jamie Nelson described herself as the creator and sole copyright holder of a photographic series of Taylor titled Champagne Problems, which was published in Vogue Portugal in July 2025. She said her work was used without permission after one of the images was shared publicly by a third party linked to Taylor, prompting her to issue cease-and-desist notices to all parties, including Taylor and Amyl and the Sniffers.
A civil lawsuit from Taylor followed, after Nelson allegedly sold a selection of them as “fine art prints” on her website. According to Taylor, no agreement existed authorising Nelson to sell copies.
US District Judge George H. Wu later dismissed a federal false-association claim put forward by Taylor in September, which was dismissed with prejudice.
“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,” Nelson said in a statement given to Rolling Stone AU/NZ. “I fought to defend those principles, not just for myself, but for every independent artist who has ever been pressured into silence.
“I am proud that I stood up for myself, proud of the work I made, and grateful to everyone who supported me through this process. I hope the next photographer who finds themselves in a similar position knows that their work is worth defending.
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“Art is worth defending. And artistic freedom is worth fighting for. For me, that is the victory.”
As reported by Blunt, a “Covenant Not to Sue” has also been established, which ensures that Taylor and the band can not bring further legal action over specified uses of the images.
Amyl and the Sniffers responded to the verdict in a separate statement.
“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.
“On 28 October, we reached a mutual settlement with Jamie Nelson where both cases were dismissed and no money changed hands. Jamie can continue selling the Vogue Portugal photos of Amy for millions of dollars, the copyright is hers. We wish her the absolute best with that, and we hope other people learn from our mistakes. Lie down with dogs and you’ll get up with fleas. Be careful who you let into your world.”
From Rolling Stone AU/NZ