This image was removed due to legal reasons.

Foodies and Instagrammers, prepare for the great legal battle of our time: #FoodPorn lawsuits.


According to Die Welt, a 2013 extension of German copyright law covers “elaborately arranged food.” That means that a crazy complicated dish is also a copyright-protected dish, and posting images of that dish online could leave the poster open to legal action from the chef who prepared the food.

For now the situation is hypothetical, but The Local explains that punishment could be costly, estimating settlements of at least hundreds of Euros.


But why wait for the German courts to test this out? Instead, this seems like a good opportunity to put a stop to your friend(s) who insist on posting endless photos of their latest expensive Brunch. Here's a foolproof guide:



Book an all expenses paid trip to Berlin with your Instagram-inclined pal. Take your friend out for a nice, elaborate meal, at the restaurant of a particularly litigious chef. When your friend takes a photo and posts it, convince the chef to invoke the full force of German copyright law, instilling an abiding fear in your (now former-)buddy. Never deal with food photos again.

Totally worth the cost.

Now if only we can convince 5 of the Supreme Court justices to follow suit.

Ethan Chiel is a reporter for Fusion, writing mostly about the internet and technology. You can (and should) email him at ethan.chiel@fusion.net