SANTA ANA – An Irvine website is accused of using a New York photographer's photos without permission.
Stephan Wurth Photography Inc. filed a complaint on Nov. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Wetpaint.com Inc., Brett Rosin, Grant Brown and Does 1-10 alleging copyright infringement.
According to the complaint, Stephan Wurth Photography Inc. is owned by commercial art photographer of similar name, who licenses his images of celebrities and models to a multitude of top-tier media outlets. In 2008, the suit states Wurth photographed tennis champion Anna Kournikova and discovered that the photos were uploaded, distributed, reproduced and directed by the defendants for their own benefit and profit. The plaintiff holds Wetpaint.com Inc., Rosin, Brown and Does 1-10 responsible because the defendants allegedly obtained profit at the expense of plaintiff, and introduced an infringing product into the stream of commerce, and reproduced, publicly distributed and displayed the infringing photos without license or permission from plaintiff.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendants, permanently enjoin further infringement, statutory damages in an amount of $150,000 per willful infringement, require defendant to account for and pay for all profits, actual damages, costs, interest and attorney’s fees and further relief as the court may deem just. It is represented by Peter R. Afrasiabi and John Tehranian of One LLP in Newport Beach and Joanna Ardalan of One LLP in Beverly Hills.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division Case number 16-cv-02101