Photo Agency Demands Photographer Pays $12K to Use His Own Photos

News Snapshot:

A major Chinese photo agency is demanding an astrophotographer pay $12,000 to use his own photos after he posted his work to social media platform Weibo. The photographer says he never licensed his photos to the agency. Visal China Group (VCG) has accused Jeff Dai of copyright violation after he published 173 photos that he took himself. VCG has demanded he pay $7,000 (51,900 yuan) in compensation or pay $12,000 (86,500) as a “usage fee.” Dai, who is part of The World at Night program, has reportedly taken to Weibo to express his frustration and has called the situation “outrageous.”...