Zillow Faces Copyright Lawsuit Over Claims of Photo Misuse
Real estate image provider VHT filed a lawsuit against online real estate database company Zillow Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleging that Zillow violated VHT’s copyright on more than 300 images by using them on the Zillow Digs…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
home improvement website. “Zillow is also abundantly aware that the photographs transmitted by listing agents and brokers to the Zillow Listing Site are licensed by VHT only for purposes of marketing the properties for sale,” VHT said in the lawsuit. “Nonetheless, when Zillow launched its Digs Site, it populated it with these photographs -- not for purpose of marketing the properties -- but rather for the purpose of selling advertising for design elements depicted in these photographs.” Zillow disputed VHT’s claims, saying in a statement that it “has abided by the terms of the licenses agreed to by the parties who provided these photos.” Zillow declined to comment further but said it “will vigorously fight the allegations and ... [is] confident in our position.”