A U.S. federal judge has ruled largely in favour of Amyl and the Sniffers frontwoman Amy Taylor in her ongoing copyright dispute with photographer Jamie Nelson.
Judge George Wu denied Nelson’s anti-SLAPP motion, ordered the parties to mediate within three weeks, and warned the photographer that “things are only going to get worse” if the matter proceeds to trial.
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At a hearing before district court Judge George Wu in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Monday (March 31), Taylor’s lawyer Jonathan Pink described the outcome as a near-total victory.
“The U.S. district court today ruled almost entirely in favour of plaintiff, Amy Taylor, giving her the right to amend her federal court action, keeping alive her state-based claims, and leaning on defendant, Jamie Nelson, to settle this lawsuit,” Pink said in a statement. “In summary, today’s hearing was a near-complete victory for Amy Taylor and nearly the complete opposite for Ms. Nelson.”
Judge Wu set a mediation deadline of April 23, ahead of an April 27 hearing, and issued a stark warning to Nelson. Absent a course-correction, Wu indicated he would enter a default judgment against Nelson’s company, Jamie Nelson Studios LLC, on April 29.
He also dismissed Nelson’s attempts to question the legal expertise of Taylor’s counsel — a 30-year copyright attorney — and declined to assist Nelson with her claims, noting that such assistance was not the role of the federal judiciary. In comments from the bench, the judge told Nelson directly: “Settlement is worth it even if you have to pay more than you want. Things are only going to get worse for you if you go forward.”
Nelson, for her part, maintained that her own copyright claims remained active. “My copyright counterclaims remain active and will continue to move forward against Amy Taylor, Amyl and the Sniffers, John Angus Stewart, and PHC Films,” she told Rolling Stone AU/NZ on Tuesday. “This case highlights the realities independent artists face when navigating disputes against well-funded and highly aggressive legal pressure, and I will continue to assert my rights as an artist as this matter proceeds.”
The dispute stems from a 2025 photo shoot for Vogue Portugal, for which Nelson photographed Taylor in a series she later titled Champagne Problems.
Taylor’s side maintains she agreed to the shoot on the understanding the images would be used exclusively for the magazine. Nelson subsequently proposed selling a selection of the photographs as fine art prints — priced at $3,600 each — and a limited-edition zine, both of which Taylor’s management rejected. Taylor’s lawsuit, filed in California district court in late 2025, alleges Nelson proceeded to list the prints for sale anyway and continued using the images across her website and social media without authorisation.
The dispute had escalated sharply at the end of last year. In December 2025, Nelson filed a civil harassment restraining order petition against Taylor in Los Angeles Superior Court, which the court declined to grant.
Nelson has since filed copyright counterclaims of her own, alleging a third party connected to Taylor posted her images without permission. The latest hearing marks the most significant legal development yet, with the court firmly signalling that settlement is the preferred path forward.
Formed in Melbourne in 2016, Amyl and the Sniffers have become one of Australia’s most prominent rock exports. Their 2022 album Comfort to Me debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart and earned widespread international acclaim, including nominations at the Brit Awards and Australian of the Year recognition for Taylor.
