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Melbourne photographer accuses Calvin Klein of copying his work

Friday, 22 Apr 2016 14:43:19 | Freya Michie

Jack Hawkins says his photo (left) is very similar to Calvin Klein's (right). (Supplied)

A Melbourne photographer has accused a major international fashion retailer of copying one of his images in an advertising campaign.

Photographer Jack Hawkins said a photo he took more than a year ago and circulated on social media bares a striking likeness to an image used in a Calvin Klein advertisement.

The two images each showed a woman lying in a sea of various shades of blue jeans.

Mr Hawkins said the colours and framing appeared to be very similar.

"It feels crappy to have hard work and passion taken away from you and shamelessly credited to someone else," Mr Hawkins said.

He said he created the image in the style of the 1999 movie "American Beauty".

He said in recent months Calvin Klein has launched an advertising campaign including a video with an extended shot that he said bared a resemblance to his earlier photograph.

"In mine and other people's opinions it's around 80 to 90 per cent likeness to my original image," Mr Hawkins told 774 ABC Melbourne.

"But it's hard to know what's happened.

"It's sort of the pose and wideness of the shot and it really does feel very close."

'Intellectual property lawyers cost a fortune'

Mr Hawkins said he sought legal representation but "hit a road block because intellectual property lawyers cost a fortune".

"Even if I had the cash to do it, I was advised that going up against a big international player whether it be the agency involved or Calvin Klein, is quite a Goliath task."

He said he tried to contact Calvin Klein but "kept hitting middle management with people not caring to call back".

"That's where things get murky because in these days of the internet and being a creative, international property gets very blurry," he said.

"I'm not saying I'm the first person to do an image in this style and I definitely drew a lot of inspiration from 'American Beauty' and other images in classic Greek posing," he said.

He said his image was seen on a number of internet feeds when he released it.

"It did the rounds and I just feel it would have been seen at some point."

The ABC has contacted Calvin Klein in New York for comment.

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