Intellectual Property Law

Maryland IP Litigation 2008: Lawsuit Summary No. 19

By Brian Wm. Higgin

• #19: CoStar Realty Information, Inc. v. Field, No. 8:2008cv00663; filed March 13, 2008; assigned to J. Williams

     This copyright lawsuit involves Plaintiffs CoStar Realty Information, Inc., and CoStar Group, Inc., which are Delaware companies with their principal places of business in Bethesda, MD, and Defendants Mark Field (allegedly a California resident and sole proprietor d/b/a Alliance Valuation Group), Lawson Valuation Group, Inc. (allegedly a Florida entity), Russ Gressett (allegedly a Texas resident d/b/a TGC Realty Counselors), Gerald A. Teel Company, Inc. (allegedly a Texas entity), and John Does 1-5. 

     Plaintiffs assert that they provide users with access to one of the most comprehensive commercial real estate information databases available. Alliance reportedly entered into a Licensing Agreement with CoStar to access CoStar's databases, but allegedly breached the agreement by providing user names and passcodes to Defendants Lawson, Gressett, Gateel, and Does 1-5. CoStar asserts, against one or more defendants, copyright infringement, criminal copyright infringement, breach of contract, fraud, and tortious interference with contract and prospective business relationship. With regard to the copyright infringement allegation, CoStar is seeking an award of statutory damages, as well as attorney's fees and costs.

     Shari Ross Lahlou of Crowell & Moring (Washington, DC) filed the complaint on behalf of CoStar.

Full post as published by Maryland Intellectual Property Law Blog on April 01, 2008 (boomark / email).