A prominent photography distribution network has filed a lawsuit against an interior design studio for alleged copyright infringement. On February 12, 2025, Otto Archive, LLC initiated legal proceedings in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Park and Oak Design, LLC. The plaintiff claims that the defendant unlawfully used multiple copyrighted photographs on its website and social media platforms without authorization.
Otto Archive, LLC is a New York-based company representing over 30 renowned photographers, including Bjorn Wallander, William Waldron, Stephen Kent Johnson, Eric Piasecki, and Roger Davies. These photographers are known for their work in interior design and architectural photography. The complaint alleges that Park and Oak Design displayed several of these photographers' works on its digital platforms without obtaining the necessary licenses or permissions. According to Otto Archive's complaint, "Defendant displayed and/or published the First Photograph on its website" as early as July 2020. This act allegedly occurred before Otto Archive registered the photograph with the Register of Copyrights in October 2020.
The lawsuit outlines a series of similar infringements involving other photographs created by Otto Archive's represented photographers. For instance, it accuses Park and Oak Design of using additional images by Mr. Wallander on various dates between April 2018 and March 2021 before they were registered with copyrights in February 2022. Similarly, photographs by Mr. Waldron were allegedly used from January 2019 to January 2024 without proper licensing agreements.
Otto Archive asserts that these actions constitute willful copyright infringement under U.S.C. § 501(b), which grants exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute copyrighted works to the public by sale or licensing. The plaintiff seeks relief from the court in terms of damages for each instance of infringement as well as injunctive relief to prevent further unauthorized use of their photographs.
The case is being handled by Copycat Legal PLLC based in Coral Springs, Florida. The presiding judge over this matter is yet to be named but will be part of the Northern District of Illinois jurisdiction where this case has been filed under Case No. 1:25-cv-01509.