Cam’ron Hit With $50,000 Fine for Unauthorized Use of Photo of Himself Displayed on Dipset Clothing

Cam’ron has been ordered by a judge to pay a photographer $50,000 for the unauthorized use of a copyrighted photo stamped on Dipset merchandise. 

On Thursday, Federal Judge William Martini decided that Killa Cam committed copyright infringement when he used the iconic photo of himself wearing a pink fur coat with a matching hat and cellphone on Dipset-branded clothing items. The rapper and his company, Dipset Couture, were sued by the photographer Djamilla Cochran in April 2023.

In her lawsuit, Cochran claimed the rapper had featured the photo on t-shirts, jewelry, and more items sold through Dipset Couture. 

“The court finds that a statutory damages award of seven times the licensing fee is sufficient to compensate the plaintiff for the infringement of her copyright and to deter future infringements by punishing the defendants,” the judge said, according to court documents obtained by XXL.

Cochran’s lawyers added, “Getty Images notified defendants of their infringing activities by mail and email on multiple occasions. Despite those notifications, defendants continued to sell merchandise and continued to display the photograph on website and accounts.”

The Harlem native now has been ordered to pay Cochran $51,221.50, of which $40,530 is being used for statutory damages and $10,691 for Cochran’s legal fees. Cam reportedly didn’t put up a fight in the case either, as he never answered the lawsuit or provided any defense.

The legendary photo was originally taken by Cochran at New York Fashion Week way back in 2003 and became one of the most unforgettable pictures in hip-hop history.