A South Florida photographer is part of a class action lawsuit against real estate research firm CoreLogic over the alleged altering of thousands of property images in order to use them without needing permission.
Robert Stevens of Lake Worth and a San Diego photographer are the initial plaintiffs in the federal suit, which was filed in California last month against San Diego-based CoreLogic. The firm assists the Multiple Listing Service in many major U.S. markets, according to the South Florida Business Journal. Brokers frequently acquire the photos and post them on the MLS.
Boca Raton attorney Joel Rothman and Del Mar, Calif. attorney Darren Quinn drafted the complaint. They claim CoreLogic regularly took MLS photos, scrubbed the metadata identifying the photographers and their copyrights and posted them on its RealQuest system. Stevens accuses the firm of improperly taking his photo of a Singer Island condo building without compensation.
A CoreLogic spokesperson declined comment, citing a company policy not to discuss pending litigation. [South Florida Business Journal] — Eric Kalis