Global Weather Productions, LLC has taken legal action against a prominent insurance company for allegedly infringing on its copyright by using a video without permission. The complaint was filed by Global Weather Productions, LLC in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on October 18, 2024, targeting Diverse Insurance Solutions, Inc. as the defendant.
The case revolves around a video created by professional videographer Michael Brandon Clement, depicting the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. Clement, who holds the legal rights to this video, had commercially licensed it to third parties. However, Diverse Insurance Solutions is accused of copying and displaying this video on their Instagram account (@dis.agencies) without authorization. This unauthorized use was discovered by Global Weather Productions on October 28, 2022.
Global Weather Productions claims that Diverse Insurance Solutions knowingly violated U.S. copyright laws by using the video as part of an online story to promote their business. The plaintiff asserts that the defendant's actions were willful and deliberate since they failed to implement adequate internal policies to verify copyright ownership before using content. This alleged negligence points to a recurring disregard for copyright compliance within Diverse Insurance Solutions' operations.
The plaintiff is seeking several forms of relief from the court. They demand actual damages and disgorgement of profits attributable to the infringements or statutory damages per infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 504(c). Additionally, they seek injunctive relief to prevent further unauthorized use of their works and request coverage for litigation costs and attorney's fees as permitted under 17 U.S.C. § 505.
Representing Global Weather Productions in this case is Craig Sanders from Sanders Law Group, based in Uniondale, New York. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:24-cv-10758 but does not yet list any judges presiding over it.