Lions, Getty Sued Over Barry Sanders Pic Used in Merch, Statue

A photographer sued the Detroit Lions, the NFL, Getty Images Inc., sculptors, and retailers over use of his “iconic” photograph of running back Barry Sanders after the team installed a new statue of Sanders outside their home field.

Allen Kee claimed his 1995 photo of a wide-eyed Sanders changing direction was “slavishly” copied to the finest detail on a the statue unveiled in September outside Ford Field, according to his complaint in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The NFL sanctioned the image’s use in a variety of memorabilia linked to the unveiling, while image ...