Enhle Mbali is topping the trends on social media after being slapped with an R143 lawsuit by freelance photographer Cyan Haribhai. The celebrated entertainer swims into trouble as she is accused of copyright infringement and loss of income by her former photographer.
Cyan Haribhai worked with Enhle Mbali as her photographer in 2020 at South African Fashion Week (SAFW) Autumn/ Winter, and now their relationship has turned sour. Enhle is now being accused of reposting pictures from 2020 on Instagram without asking permission from Cyan.
Cyan Haribhai slapped Enhle Mbali with an R143 million lawsuit
Confirmed reports have it that Cyan Haribhai filed the lawsuit at the Johannesburg High Court accusing Enhle Mbali and her clothing label Essie Apparel, of taking the fashion pictures she had published on a fashion website, Photo Vogue, and reposting them on her Instagram account without her authorisation.
In the premises the posting constitutes an unauthorised copy, reproduction, alternatively a reproduction of a substantial part, further alternatively an adaption of the copyright works. In the premises further, the posting constitutes a direct infringement of the plaintiff’s conferred right of copyright in the copyright works as contemplated in Section 23 of the act, ” read part of the court papers.
However, Enhle Mbali responded to Cyan Haribhai and revealed that she is surprised that her former workmate slapped her with a lawsuit. She accused Haribhai of harassing her and her team.
“I have received the summons that seeks to claim over R140 million from me. Three years after I reposted the image, she started to harass my team and business partners with threats and her frivolous claim,” she said in a statement.
Enhle Mbali also slapped back at Cyan for using her pictures for money-making deals without her permission.
“It baffles me how she would seek damages from me for reposting from her page an image of my work that she never sought any authorisation from me nor my company to use for her financial gains with Photo Vogue or Vogue Italia.