We Fight Copyright Infringement And Win

We understand that photography is your livelihood and we are here to fight for your copyrights. We have been one of the most frequent filers of photography based copyright lawsuits for the past 3 years in a row. Higbee & Associates has an incredible record of success in the court. We have never lost a copyright case we have filed.*

Trusted By Copyright Owners World Wide

Higbee & Associates has been trusted to handle copyright enforcement for individuals and companies of all sizes worldwide. Our clients range from the world’s largest news agencies such as The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, to the most prestigious photo agencies, and even amateur photographers who are just getting their start.

We have earned A+ ratings for the Better Business Bureau for 10 consecutive years and are members of the Digital Media Licensing Association.

How We Handle Copyright Claims

While we file hundreds of lawsuits and fight aggressively in court, we prefer to give most infringers a chance to settle claims out of court. Since the copyright laws are so clear, most infringers quickly realize that they do not have a valid defense for the copyright infringement case brought against them after discussing it with their own lawyers. We have seen that more than 80 percent of claims can be solved in the pre-litigation stage.

Here some sample results of our litigation:

Settlement for $245,000 for use of 7 images by news site
Settlement for $200,000 for use of 27 stock food images by grocery store
Settlement for $200,000 for use of 8 celebrity photos by regional restaurant chain

Some of our notable recent court successes:

What types of claims do we pursue?

We handle claims involving the unauthorized use of images and video. We only pursue commercial claims. We define commercial use as any use that directly or indirectly promotes the sale of goods or services, generates advertising revenue, or solicits contributions.

What is your success rate?

Most businesses who use someone’s photo without a license will work with us to resolve the claim outside of court. Results vary by client, but, in general, more than 80% of claims are able to be resolved outside of court.

Does it matter if my images are registered?

No, you have a right to protect your copyright even if you have not registered with the US Copyright Office. However, if we need to litigate the matter, we will need to register the image prior to filing the lawsuit, unless the image was first...