Copyright Infringement and Breach of Licensing Agreement Lawsuit Filed In Los Angeles Federal Court Over Video Used In Television Series

Los Angeles, CA – Copyright attorneys for HighDefinition.net, Inc. (“HDNI”), owned by award-winning broadcast reporter Robert Tur, filed a copyright infringement and breach of contract lawsuit, at the Los Angeles Federal District Court, which seeks to enjoin further usage of its footage. The complaint states that Mr. Tur pioneered the use of helicopters in covering live news events, which, at least in Los Angeles, provides for at least one car chase per day. HDNI has registered its copyrights for its aerial footage with the U.S. Copyright Office.

In 2007, the complaint alleges that HDNI and Rive Gauche Entertainment Television (“RGET”) entered into an agreement, whereby HDNI produced and RGET distributed a television program about police car chases, titled “Why They Run,” which aired on MSNBC. Shortly thereafter, the parties entered into an agreement for the production and distribution of “Nowhere to Run,” under which agreement RGET was to pay HDNI $450,000, in addition to licensing fees for the use of news clips from its library. The complaint alleges that “RGET has breached the March 7, 2008 Agreement by, among other things, failing to pay HDNI at least $400,000 owed under the agreement. In addition, RGTV has licensed and/or delivered to third parties [the] copyrighted material without [Plaintiff’s] consent, much less its written consent.” Plaintiff requests either actual or statutory damages under 17 U.S.C. § 504, in addition to their costs of the lawsuit and reasonable attorneys’ fees pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 505. The case is titled: HighDefinition.net, Inc. v. Rive Gauche Entertainment Television, Inc., CV08-05795 GHK (C.D. Cal. 2008).