Amy Louise Taylor, the unmistakable voice and presence at the centre of Melbourne punk outfit Amyl & The Sniffers, has launched legal action in the United States, accusing an American photographer of unlawfully exploiting her image for commercial gain.
Court documents filed in the District Court of California outline a dispute between Taylor and photographer Jamie Nelson, centred on images taken during a Vogue Portugal photoshoot that appeared in the magazine’s July 2025 issue. Taylor alleges that photographs intended solely for editorial publication were later marketed and sold as “fine art prints” and included in other commercial products without her consent.
According to the complaint, the origins of the dispute trace back to July 2024, when Amyl & The Sniffers’ manager, Simone Ubaldi, approached Nelson about photographing the band for what would become their third album, Cartoon Darkness. Discussions broke down the following month after the band made it clear they did not want their name, image or likeness used to promote Nelson’s photography business or sold as merchandise, including fine art prints. As a result, the album shoot never proceeded.
Several months later, Nelson reportedly contacted Taylor directly with a separate proposal, requesting that she pose for a photoshoot intended exclusively for Vogue Portugal. The complaint states that Taylor agreed on the clear understanding that the images would be used only for that single editorial purpose and that no broader commercial licence was discussed or granted.
The shoot took place in May 2025, and the photographs were published as planned in the July issue of Vogue Portugal. However, the situation escalated in early September when Nelson allegedly sent Taylor and Ubaldi a presentation of selected images, indicating an intention to sell them as fine art prints through her own platforms.
Taylor’s legal filing claims that Ubaldi immediately objected, reiterating that no permission had been given for such use and that the only authorised purpose for the images was the Vogue Portugal feature. The documents further allege that Nelson was fully aware of Taylor’s strong opposition to any expanded commercial use of her likeness.
Despite this, the complaint states that Nelson continued to seek a licence to sell the images, requests that Taylor repeatedly rejected. On 15 September, Ubaldi is said to have issued an unequivocal response, stating that the band was not interested in a buyout and that Taylor did not want images of her face or body sold as fine art prints under any circumstances.
Taylor alleges that on 20 September she discovered the images had nonetheless been made available for sale on Nelson’s website. The complaint further claims that Nelson expanded the use of the photographs by offering a specially designed zine made up entirely of published and unpublished images from the Vogue Portugal shoot. Taylor contends that these actions occurred without authorisation and directly contradicted her clearly stated wishes.
The filing also alleges that images of Taylor remain visible across Nelson’s website and social media channels, continuing the unauthorised commercial use. Taylor argues that this creates a risk of consumer confusion, potentially misleading fans into believing she has endorsed or is commercially affiliated with Nelson’s photography ventures.
Central to the complaint is the assertion that Taylor’s image is inseparable from her professional identity. As the frontwoman of Amyl & The Sniffers, she has become internationally recognised not only for her ferocious live performances and sharp-edged songwriting, but also for a distinctive visual style rooted in Australian pub rock and 1970s punk traditions. That carefully constructed identity, the complaint states, has played a significant role in building her fan base and broader brand.
Since forming in Melbourne in 2016, Amyl & The Sniffers have risen from suburban pubs to global festival stages, winning multiple ARIA Awards and establishing themselves as one of Australia’s most successful contemporary punk exports. Their work has consistently emphasised independence, self-determination and control over their creative output, values that Taylor argues extend to how her image is used.
The lawsuit alleges that Nelson’s actions have caused and will continue to cause harm, including lost profits and damage to Taylor’s reputation, brand and business interests. It seeks remedies under laws designed to protect against unauthorised commercial exploitation and misleading conduct.
At the time of writing, neither Taylor nor Nelson has made public statements outside of the court filings. The matter will now proceed through the US legal system, where the boundaries between editorial photography, artistic ownership and personal image rights are set to be closely examined.
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