LOS ANGELES — A professional photographer is suing a commercial law firm, alleging copyright infringement.
John Durant filed a complaint Dec. 5 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Lerner & Weiss APC and Does 1 through 10, alleging violation of the Copyright Act of the United States.
According to the complaint, in August, Durant discovered that Lerner & Weiss prominently displayed his copyright image on their website page advertising its San Diego office. Durant says the law firm had no purchasing license to use the image and he had not given any consent to authorize, permit or allow in any manner the use of the image.
The plaintiff alleges Lerner & Weiss illegally used, published, communicated, benefited through, posted, publicized, and otherwise held out to the public for commercial benefit, the original and unique copyright Image without the original owner's consent or authority. The suit says the defendant acquired monetary gain and market benefit as a result.
Durant seeks trial by jury, statutory, general and special damages of at least $150,000 against each defendant, plus costs of litigation, injunction and all other relief the court deems just and proper. He is represented by attorney Mathew K. Higbee of Higbee & Associates in Santa Ana.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 2:17-cv-08754-MRW