Last year, photographer Judy A. Juracek sued Capcom for up to $12 million in damages for allegedly infringing on copyright by using her images in Devil May Cry and Resident Evil 4. The two have now settled outside of court, resolving the lawsuit.
Juracek alleged that Capcom used over 80 of her photos without consent as references for locations in the aforementioned games (thanks, GameIndustry.biz). The initial suit put forward not only asked for up to $12 million in damages but also that Capcom removes copyright management. With them settling out of court, it's unclear how much Juracek actually got from Capcom.
"Capcom and Judy Juracek have amicably resolved their dispute concerning the alleged use of Ms Juracek's photos in Capcom's games," the statement wrote. "A dismissal was filed on February 7, 2022, with the District of Connecticut to end the lawsuit."
The initial lawsuit put forward by Juracek showed 200 cases where she believes Capcom used images from her book, Surfaces. The book has 1,200 images of textures Juracek photographed herself and is intended for "visual research", not for usage without consent. As pictured above, she believes one of these photos was used to texture Resident Evil 4's logo.
She also believes that images from her book were used for in-game books, doors, floors, murals, and more, with another citing a mansion door in Resident Evil 4, comparing it to a picture she took of a Rhode Island mansion's door. She stated that "it is not possible for Capcom to have had access to the mansion to photograph such images" as the mansion does not allow the public to take photos.
Last year, when the lawsuit was filed, Capcom acknowledged its existence but made no comment. The two have now settled, putting the matter to rest. If the rumoured Resident Evil 4 remake is real, it's unclear how this lawsuit will impact its development if it does at all. It could be that certain elements need to be reworked to avoid breaching copyright again.
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