The "Nirvana baby" Spencer Elden gets nothing.
A federal court in California has now dismissed a claim for damages by the 31-year-old, who felt exploited by the cover of Nirvana's album Nevermind, which showed him naked in a swimming pool as a toddler.
Elden last year filed lawsuits against former band members such as Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and the estate executors of the late Kurt Cobain.
He accused them of child pornography and said the photo of him reaching for a bill underwater made him feel like a sex worker.
The cover of the album, released in 1991, is one of the most famous of all time.
It was taken by underwater photographer Kirk Weddle, who Elden's father was working as an assistant at the time.
Elden, who became known as the "Nirvana Baby," had sought more than $1 million in damages in total.
The court justified the dismissal of the lawsuit with the statute of limitations.
Elden missed the 10-year grace period that California allows victims of child pornography.