If ownership of the image wasn’t in contention and this were simply about Miramax’s continued use of Zahedi’s work, the photographer would have been able to sue over infringement in the past three years without deadline. The important thing, though, is that Zahedi’s complaint and Miramax’s defense presented a dispute over ownership. Miramax insisted that for Pulp Fiction, Zahedi worked under a work-for-hire agreement, but the studio couldn’t locate the documents that would prove it. Miramax Sues Quentin Tarantino Over 'Pulp Fiction' NFTs The crucial piece of evidence turned out a post that one of Zahedi’s relatives made six years ago on Instagram.
Zahedi, a noted photographer who has shot for many magazines and whose work has been in Los Angeles galleries, snapped Uma Thurman at his private studio on April 7, 1994, and sued Miramax for using the image on “untold thousands of consumer products.” The case ultimately came down to Zahedi’s long delay in bringing a legal claim.
He didn’t, and so Miramax has been granted summary judgment in a copyright battle over the poster image. Firooz Zahedi will always have a place in Hollywood history thanks to how he shot the iconic Pulp Fiction movie poster, but a judge has ruled that if the photographer claims ownership, he should have filed a lawsuit much sooner.
