LOS ANGELES – A Santa Monica photography studio alleges an online media publisher used five of its photos without permission.
Michael Grecco Productions Inc. filed a complaint on June 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Valnet Inc. and Does 1-10 alleging copyright infringement.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges it is the owner of several photographs of celebrities, including some featuring characters from TV shows "The X Files" and "Star Trek." It alleges the defendant reproduced and distributed its photos without license or permission.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendants for statutory damages, costs, interest, attorney's fees, accounting of profits, actual damages, and further relief as the court may deem just. He is represented by Peter R. Afrasiabi, John Tehranian and Vishwanath Kootala Mohan of One LLP in Newport Beach.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 2:18-cv-04889