Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Filed In Los Angeles Over Religious Prayer Cards And Figurines

Los Angeles, CA – Plaintiffs San Francis Imports and Basevi, through their attorney, filed a copyright infringement, Section 17200 unfair competition, and trade dress infringement lawsuit at the Federal District Court in Los Angeles against NG Figurine Wholesale, WG Trading Corp., and Gary Ngo. The complaint alleges that from 1935 to 1950, Cromo, N.B., an Italian corporation, created artwork with the assistance of numerous artists, which copyrights in the artwork were transferred to and registered by Cromo. In turn, Cromo assigned licensing rights in the United States to Basevi, which license was executed with San Francis.

The complaint alleges that “Defendants, and each of them through its (sic.) employees copied Plaintiff’s (sic.) Holy Cards and caused to be manufactured and offered for sale to the public Holy Cards which is (sic.) not only substantially similar, but is strikingly similar to Plaintiffs’ Holy Cards.” The case is titled San Francis Imports v. NG Figurine Wholesale, CV08-06252 RGK (C.D. Cal. 2008).