SAN FRANCISCO — A Santa Monica photography studio has filed suit against a Venice, Florida company alleging it used a copyrighted photograph without permission.
Michael Grecco Productions Inc. filed a complaint on Aug. 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Avia Essentials LLC, doing business as Only Sierra, alleging copyright infringement.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff is a photography and film studio owned by award-winning photographer and director Michael Grecco, and exclusive owner of all copyrighted photographs entitled Grecco Photography. The plaintiff alleges it discovered that defendant was infringing its exclusive copyright by reproducing, distributing and/or publicly displaying a copyrighted photo of model April Hutchings licensed for another website on the homepage of its website. The plaintiff holds Avia Essentials LLC responsible because the defendant allegedly profited from the infringing work and publicly displayed copyrighted work without authority.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendant, award amount of $150,000 for each infringed copyright work, damages, interest, costs of action, attorney's fees and further relief as the court may deem just. It is represented by Brandon P. Leahy of Duane Morris in San Francisco.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Case number 16-cv-04937