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Well known fashion and art photographer David LaChapelle is suing Rihanna over copyright claims on her ‘S&M’ video. Next month they will head to court in New York over the matter.

The case got new life when Manhattan Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled that LaChapelle could go forward with the $1 million lawsuit.

David insists that the ‘S&M’ video is a rip-off of his personal works, directly derived from his photographs. So far the judge has thrown out Rihanna’s claim of fair use, stating that “both works share the frantic and surreal mood of women dominating men in a hyper-saturated, claustrophobic domestic space.”

The hot pink and white striped walls, women wearing frizzy red wigs, and black tape wrapped around a man are all part of the copyright infringement claims.

Back in February when the lawsuit first came to light, David told reporters that he and Rihanna were good friends and stated that this was purely a business matter, nothing personal. Something tells us that could change if she has to fork over a payday…

Check out side by side comparisons of the photographer’s photos and the video recreations – let us know what you think. Did she steal his ideas?

View the video that is the basis for his claim below:



Photo: WENN