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Jared Leto
made headlines earlier this week when TMZ published a
video of him and an engineer at a home studio critiquing
various songs off of Taylor Swift's 1989 album.
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Jared Leto
admires Taylor Swift's work in the video, even going so far as
joking that he wanted to "steal" one of her finer moments of
production work.
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But towards the end of the video, Leto says: "I mean, f- her," he
says. "I don't give a f- about her."
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Afterwards, Jared Leto apologised to Taylor Swift and her fans, tweeting: "The truth is I think
@taylorswift13 is amazing + an incredible example of what's
possible. If I hurt her or her fans my sincerest apologies."
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Now he has lodged a notable new copyright lawsuit
against TMZ, alleging that the gossip site published
the video after being warned that it was stolen, and for invading
his privacy.
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"I have chosen to file this lawsuit not because I want to, but in
hopes it will encourage more people to stop trafficking in stolen
goods, to follow proper legal procedure and so that it may motivate
additional consideration for the harm these acts can create,
especially when the only intention is to simply further the bottom
line for the companies and corporations that commit these acts,"
says Leto in a statement (published in full below).
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In a complaint filed in California federal court, obtained
by The Hollywood Reporter, Leto says the footage
was shot 8 September by a videographer retained by him. This
videographer is said to have delivered the video to TMZ in
exchange for a promised payment of $2,000.
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"TMZ requested that Videographer sign a document
confirming he had the legal right to deliver the Footage," states
the complaint. "Videographer refused to sign such an
acknowledgement. Prior to any broadcast of the Footage, Plaintiff
had advised Defendants that the Footage was stolen, and that
Defendants were not authorized to disseminate, display, or publish
the Footage on the website TMZ.com or at all."
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The lawsuit adds that TMZ "rushed to publish," and that 15
minutes after it had done so, the videographer urged the gossip
site, "Do not post the footage. I do not own it. I do not have
permission."
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TMZ continues to show the Jared Leto footage on its
site.
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Here's Leto's full statement:
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"Last Sunday, I was alerted that TMZ had acquired personal
and private video footage of me in my home and that they were
planning to leak it on their site. My team notified TMZ
immediately that I fully owned the footage and that their source
had absolutely no rights to sell it. They chose to post it anyway.
Let's be clear. This was stolen footage. This was an invasion of
privacy. And it was both legally and morally wrong. Regardless of
who we are, we should all be able to talk freely in the privacy of
our own homes without the fear that our unfiltered thoughts or
actions will get broadcast to the world. We have the right to
privacy and security and when we don't have protections in place to
safeguard those things, we lose the freedom to speak loudly and
clearly - right or wrong - about anything and everything we choose
to. I have chosen to file this lawsuit not because I want to, but
in hopes it will encourage more people to stop trafficking in
stolen goods, to follow proper legal procedure and so that it may
motivate additional consideration for the harm these acts can
create, especially when the only intention is to simply further the
bottom line for the companies and corporations that commit these
acts."
SOURCE: THR
