In 2005, Nussenzweig learned of the photograph and filed a lawsuit, claiming that diCorcia and Pace/MacGill had violated his privacy rights under Sections 50 and 51 of New York's Civil Rights Law and that, as a Klausenburg Orthodox Jew, such a display would violate the Commandment in Torah against graven images. New York law prohibits the use of a person's likeness, without consent, "for advertising or for purposes of trade."
In 2005, Nussenzweig became aware of the photograph and filed a complaint, arguing that diCorcia and Pace/MacGill had breached his right to privacy under New York's Civil Rights Law, specifically Sections 50 and 51, as well as contravening Jewish law by showcasing an image deemed blasphemous.