Proceeds from Pitt-Jolie baby pictures to go to charity

LOS ANGELES - Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt said today they have agreed to sell rights to photographs of their newborn daughter to raise money for charities aiding African children.

The photos, which are expected to fetch millions of dollars, will be licensed to media worldwide by Getty Images, which said it will make no profit from distribution of the pictures of the Hollywood couple's baby.

Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt was born on May 28 in a hospital in the southern African nation of Namibia, with an army of paparazzi descended on Namibia in hopes of capturing their own photos of the child.

In a joint statement, Pitt and Jolie said they hoped that proceeds from photos of their daughter would go towards saving the lives of newborn children in Africa.

"While we celebrate the joy of the birth of our daughter, we recognise that 2 million babies born every year in the developing world die on the first day of their lives," the couple said. "These children can be saved, but only if governments around the world make it a priority."

"These are highly anticipated images, and they will be out there quickly," Getty Images spokeswoman Deb Trevino said.

Details of the licensing deal were not revealed. Trevino also declined to say when the pictures were taken, and whether an auction among newspapers and magazines around the world would be held to bid on initial distribution rights.

Jonathan Klein, chief executive officer and co-founder of Getty Images, said in a statement, "We are honoured that the Jolie-Pitt family has recognised our long-term commitment to these critical issues as well as our ability to use the power of imagery to make a difference in the lives of many."

Jolie, 30, who won an Oscar for her role in the 1999 movie "Girl, Interrupted," serves as a goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

She and Pitt, 42, are also the parents of two adopted children, Cambodian-born son Maddox, 4, and daughter, Zahara, an Ethiopian native who is about 15 months old.


- REUTERS