Whoops, Guns N 'Roses Gets Cases Of Violation Of Copyright And Sexual Harassment

Guns N 'Roses (Instagram @gunsnroses)

JAKARTA - A photographer sued Guns N 'Roses and their management for copyright infringement and sexual harassment allegedly committed by band manager Fernando Lebeis.

Katarina Benzova filed a lawsuit on Saturday, November 11 stating that she was working freelance for Guns N Roses between 2010 and 2022 at 364 concerts.

Guns N 'Roses, Gundam LLC (business and parent band company), Team Brazil and Lebeis are listed as defendants in the case.

The lawsuit claims that the band and their team committed copyright infringement of Benzova's photos through reproduction, public display, distribution, creation of derivative works, and confiscation of Benzova's photos to be licensed and sold to third-party publications after termination of any right to do so, and changing various photos to cover up the breach and falsely claiming ownership of the photo.

Benzova has also accused in her lawsuit that Lebeis has made unwanted sexual seductions against her several times since she started managing Guns 'N' Roses in 2016.

The lawsuit claims Lebeis became aggressive and hostile when Benzova repeatedly rejected it, and even escalated to ridiculous, mocking, throwing demeaning, insulting, oppressing, and lying words.

In addition, Benzova accused Lebeis of eventually lowering his travel expenses without telling him, withholding payments from him, moving him to a cheaper hotel during the trip, asking him to pay for the travel expenses promised by the Brazilian side to cover him, and refusing to credit his photos.

Furthermore, he claimed that his attempt to use a written contract with the band was ignored. Lebeis allegedly cut ties with him in October 2022 citing various reasons including the 'budget problem'.

Benzova believes that Lebeis discriminated against her because she rejected allegations of sexual seduction, and claimed another photographer to the band, Jarmo, was not treated the same way she did.

Guns 'N' Roses issued a statement in response to Loudwire. "MS. Benzova was originally contracted to provide tour photography services for Guns N Roses in 2010. She worked with the band for 12 years and was paid and treated very well," they said.

"Only after his service was discontinued in 2022, he tried to claim ownership of photos whose contracts clearly stated that it belonged to the band," the band continued.

These 'Band' take these kinds of claims very seriously, but all the evidence suggests that these allegations are clearly wrong. This response from him came after the band filed a lawsuit against Ms. Benzova for misproclaiming ownership of the band's photos.

Loudwire was also given a copy of the band's own lawsuit, which was filed on October 24 and claimed copyright, non-ownership and non-violation inequality, in particular stated that Benzova had alleged wrongly copyright infringement of various people and entities in March 2023.

Their lawsuit alleges that Benzova had agreed when she first worked in 2010 that Waterhead International, Inc., which manages the Guns N 'Roses tour in addition to the Gundam LLC, will become the exclusive owner of Benzova's entire work on behalf of the band.