Copywrong: Nine sells photojournalists down river in Fairfax photo sell-off

Jeff Carter (1928-2010) was a prolific and acclaimed Australian freelance photojournalist, a best-selling author of more than 20 illustrated titles and an award-winning filmmaker.

Carter’s obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald described him as Australia’s “most prominent photographer for the poor and unknown”.

From 1954, Carter regularly supplied Fairfax Media (now owned by Nine Entertainment) with original photographs as well as essays and articles from his travels around Australia.

Each photo and manuscript that Carter provided to Fairfax was on a non-exclusive single-use basis, with the original print to be returned to Carter. On the back of each print was a stamp asserting Carter’s copyright.