"This required the Court to overturn a decision that held that copyright owners were not entitled to the Copyright Law's three-year statute of limitations," says APA Attorney James Lorin Silverberg. "Now even if rights owners delay, they are able to file suit within three years of an infringement."

APA joined with several other artist associations in an Amicus Brief to the Supreme Court supporting Paula Petrella, daughter of the late screenwriter Frank Petrella, concerning the copyright of the 1980 Oscar-winning movie "Raging Bull" and the right to file suit against MGM over royalties from continuing commercial use of the film.

"The decision is important to copyright owners because it preserves the copyright owners' claims and takes a legal weapon out of the hand of infringers," explains Silverberg. "These infringers routinely fail to blame themselves for infringing, but rather blame rights owners who allegedly do not act quickly enough to file their claims."

The United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Petrella v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. et al., 2014 WL 2011574 on May 19th, 2014. The decision can be found here.

About American Photographic Artists (APA)The American Photographic Artists (apanational.org) is a leading national organization run by and for professional photographers. With a culture that promotes a spirit of mutual cooperation, sharing and support, APA offers outstanding benefits, educational programs and essential business resources to help its members achieve their professional and artistic goals. Headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico with chapters in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Charlotte, the Northwest, Washington, DC, and APA Editorial Photographers, APA strives to improve the environment for photographic artists and clear the pathways to success in the industry. Recognized for its broad industry reach, APA continues to expand benefits for its members and works to champion the rights of photographers and image-makers worldwide.