Copyright Holder Sues Reuters for Displaying Blizzard Videos Without Consent

Plaintiff Global Weather Productions (GWP) sued Reuters, alleging the media company showed “discernible segments” of videos it owns without permission or authorization, said its complaint Wednesday (docket 1:24-cv-00507) in U.S. District Court for Southern New York in Manhattan. Brandon Clement first published a series of blizzard videos striking Western New York on Nov. 18, 2022; the five videos were registered by the U.S. Copyright Office from Jan. 30 to Feb. 8, the complaint said. Clement created the videos with the intention they would be used commercially and for public distribution of a “newsworthy weather event,” it said. GWP acquired all rights in and to the videos by way of written assignment, the complaint said. Reuters displayed various segments of the videos on its website on Dec. 27, 2022, it said, and “broadly disseminated” the videos to various third parties, and it "authorized the use of same in further violation” of GWP’s copyrights, it said. On Oct. 9, the plaintiff’s counsel sent Reuters a letter to address copyright infringement complaints about the videos, but Reuters “continues to infringe” on GWP’s videos, “thereby establishing the willful nature of its conduct,” the complaint said. GWP asserts claims of direct copyright infringement and seeks an award of actual damages and disgorgement of all of Reuters’ profits attributable to the infringements, plus attorneys’ fees and costs, and pre- and post-judgment interest, the complaint said.