FORT MYERS – A New York photographer has filed a lawsuit claiming a Florida media company used one of his photographs on its websites without permission.
Edmund J. Coppa filed a lawsuit in federal court against Urban Music News, citing allegations of copyright infringement under the Copyright Act and violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
According to court documents, Coppa says he created and owns the exclusive rights to a photograph depicting former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Coppa claims Urban Music News unlawfully copied and displayed the photograph on its website without his authorization.
Coppa says the defendant's actions constitute both direct copyright infringement under the Copyright Act and a violation of DMCA by removing or altering copyright management information associated with the photograph.
Coppa is seeking statutory and actual damages plus interest, attorney fees, court costs and other relief. Additionally, he seeks an injunction against Urban Music News, ordering the company to remove any infringing work and prohibiting them from further infringing activities.
He is being represented by Craig Sanders of Sanders Law Group in Uniondale, New York.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida case number 8:23-cv-02567