"Real estate data company Crexi has brought on celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro - known for defending billionaires, rappers, and professional athletes - in its scrap with CoStar Group. According to court filings on Wednesday, Spiro will now defend Crexi in its legal battle with the real estate data giant. The $3,000-an-hour lawyer has represented clients like Elon Musk, Jay-Z, and Megan Thee Stallion, and has also worked for a variety of businesses in disputes with short-sellers, rivals, and regulators."
"CoStar, a $29 billion company known for its real-estate data and deals platforms, claims that Crexi used offshore workers in India to "copy and crop" photos from CoStar's Loopnet website, omitting CoStar's watermark. After a mixed ruling in June that affirmed CoStar's ownership of the photos, the case, which was filed in 2020, is headed to trial. Crexi responded by accusing CoStar of abusing its market power and violating US antitrust law."
"That countersuit was originally thrown out, but an appeals court revived Crexi's claims earlier this year. Crexi wanted both cases to go to trial at the same time, but a judge rejected that, so Crexi is playing defense first. CoStar is a dominant player in real-estate data and has a history of winning legal fights. Bringing on a big name like Spiro is a shot across the bow."
Crexi retained Alex Spiro to defend against CoStar Group's copyright claims arising from alleged copying and watermark removal of photos. CoStar alleges Crexi used offshore workers in India to "copy and crop" images from LoopNet and remove CoStar watermarks. A mixed June ruling affirmed CoStar's ownership of the photos and the 2020 case is headed to trial. Crexi filed an antitrust countersuit accusing CoStar of abusing market power; that countersuit was initially dismissed but revived on appeal. A judge refused to try both matters together, so the copyright trial proceeds first against a well-established industry leader.
Read at Business Insider
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