Russell Christoff posed for this photo in 1986 and was paid $250. He didn't even know the photo was being used on Taster's Choice coffee jars until he saw one in a Rite-Aid two years ago (where's he been?!?). He just won $15.6 million in a lawsuit against Nestle USA.
Everyone, go recheck that you paid those usage rights for the photo you put in that banner ad.
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This I thought was the funniest part of the story:
"First, Christoff turned down Nestlˆ©’Äôs $100,000 settlement offer.Then Nestlˆ© turned down Christoff’Äôs $8.5 million offer. In then end, Christoff’Äôs $15.6 million award includes 5 percent of Nestlˆ©’Äôs profits from Taster’Äôs Choice sales from 1997 to 2003."
Good decision making tree there, Nestle.