31:
104:. While a lawyer, he was known for filing a high number of lawsuits against media organizations on behalf of photographers who assert that their images have been used without permission, and for receiving multiple disciplinary sanctions culminating in his suspension from practicing law in New York and ultimately in his disbarment.
158:
For his part, Liebowitz has argued that copyright law is the only tool that photographers have to protect their rights and livelihood in a digital media environment in which images are often reused without regard to proper licensing. However, in one case, a client was forced to repay $ 120,000 in
201:
concluded in a 61-page opinion and order that
Lebowitz "lied about his compliance with a court Order", "repeated that lie, over and over", "violated at least six of the Court's Orders", and wrote that "there may be no sanction short of disbarment that would stop Mr. Liebowitz from further
209:
Furman also sent the opinion to the
Grievance Committee for potential disbarment. On November 30, 2020, the Grievance Committee of the Southern District of New York suspended Liebowitz from the practice of law in the district, pending the outcome of his disciplinary charges.
202:
misconduct." The judge ordered that
Liebowitz pay $ 103,517.49 in sanctions, that Liebowitz give a copy of the opinion to all of his clients, and that Liebowitz file a copy of the opinion in all of his open cases. In June and July 2021, the
155:. Media organizations and their lawyers have asserted that Liebowitz is abusing the legal system by overloading the courts with dubious cases in which he attempts to leverage mistakes by overworked editorial staff into financial windfalls.
713:
498:
552:
139:
basis and has filed, on average, about five lawsuits per week. Contrary to other copyright lawyers, his practice is to immediately file suit rather than pursue a settlement, and to claim
151:
Liebowitz's approach to copyright litigation earned him a reputation as "the scourge of the media industry (...) and the salvation of the underpaid photographer", according to
663:
738:
525:
472:
413:
347:
203:
688:
213:
On
November 3, 2021, Liebowitz was immediately suspended by the New York Appellate Division, Second Department, pending further order of the Court.
824:
135:, he was admitted to the New York bar in 2015, established his practice in New York and filed his first lawsuit in January 2016. He works on a
121:
167:
Courts have repeatedly disapproved of
Liebowitz's approach to legal practice and imposed sanctions on him or his clients. In one case, Judge
819:
799:
171:
ordered
Liebowitz's client to pay the defendant's legal fees for what the judge considered "frivolous litigation", and in another, Judge
438:
321:
125:
499:"Copyright Troll Richard Liebowitz May Have Cost His Client A Ton Of Money, And Set An Expensive Precedent For Copyright Trolls"
814:
809:
186:– "devoted to the question of whether and when to impose sanctions on Mr. Liebowitz". In September 2019, Liebowitz was held in
638:
576:
829:
381:
216:
Following a hearing, on March 13, 2024, Liebowitz was disbarred by the New York
Appellate Division, Second Department.
601:
804:
234:
553:"Copyright Troll Lawyer Serves Up BS 'Dead Grandfather' Excuse For Missing Court; Now Facing Sanctions And Arrest"
51:
291:
183:
132:
194:
for lying about the date of his grandfather's death in an attempt to excuse his failure to attend court.
117:
47:
296:
262:
794:
100:
is an
American entrepreneur, Broadway producer, former lawyer and photographer specializing in
763:
30:
8:
648:(Court Filing), no. 1:19-cv-06368, Docket 68, S.D.N.Y., June 26, 2020 – via
182:
In 2019 a judge observed that "there is a growing body of law in this
District" – the
377:
187:
140:
586:(Court Filing), no. 7:18-cv-08956, Docket 60, S.D.N.Y., 2019-11-01 – via
649:
587:
124:. His experience with Cotler, about which he wrote a book, and as a member of the
739:"World's Worst Copyright Troll, Richard Liebowitz, Suspended From Practicing Law"
606:
176:
168:
664:"2nd Circuit affirms nationwide sanctions against copyright attorney Liebowitz"
136:
788:
526:"Copyright Troll Attorney Again Hit With Sanctions For Being A Shitty Lawyer"
101:
473:"Richard Liebowitz Is Wrong On So Many Levels, And Is In Trouble Yet Again"
198:
191:
55:
453:
172:
113:
714:"Copyright Troll Richard Liebowitz Benchslapped And Sanctioned AGAIN..."
637:
120:. Liebowitz worked as an intern for veteran New York press photographer
315:
313:
689:"2nd Circuit okays all Manhattan court sanctions against Liebowitz"
575:
530:
503:
257:
255:
159:
legal bills to several media outlets
Liebowitz sued on his behalf.
310:
252:
322:"Has This Man Sued You? A "Copyright Troll" Takes on Hollywood"
374:
Apprentice!: a teen learns lessons on the frontlines of life
454:"Facebook Dad Faces Big Fine Over Failed Copyright Suits"
128:
motivated Liebowitz to pursue a career in copyright law.
285:
283:
143:
far in excess of the images' ordinary licensing prices.
770:. New York State Law Reporting Bureau. November 3, 2021
633:
631:
629:
627:
625:
623:
280:
269:. New York State Law Reporting Bureau. March 13, 2024
235:"American Buffalo Begins Broadway Previews March 22"
620:
407:
405:
403:
401:
399:
397:
395:
393:
602:"The Lawyer, The Judge & The Dead Grandfather"
786:
390:
179:", fined him and imposed ethics classes on him.
705:
764:"Matter of Liebowitz (2021 NY Slip Op 05967)"
263:"Matter of Liebowitz (2024 NY Slip Op 01309)"
226:
593:
439:"Attorney Online Services - Search Updated"
292:"New York Disbars Infamous Copyright Troll"
29:
371:
339:
686:
661:
414:"Why Every Media Company Fears This Guy"
348:"Why Every Media Company Fears This Guy"
126:New York Press Photographers Association
736:
711:
646:Usherson v. Bandshell Artist Management
599:
550:
523:
496:
470:
451:
319:
289:
16:American photographer and former lawyer
787:
411:
345:
232:
162:
825:Maurice A. Deane School of Law alumni
820:21st-century American photographers
800:Photographers from New York (state)
471:Masnick, Mike (November 25, 2019).
13:
584:Jason Berger v. Imagina Consulting
376:. New York, NY: New Voices Press.
206:affirmed the sanctions on appeal.
107:
14:
841:
452:Donahue, Bill (October 5, 2017).
175:determined that Liebowitz was a "
524:Cushing, Tim (October 2, 2019).
320:Cullins, Ashley (6 April 2018).
756:
737:Masnick, Mike (December 2020).
730:
712:Masnick, Mike (June 20, 2020).
680:
655:
600:Bastone, William (2019-11-11).
577:"Order and Order to Show Cause"
569:
544:
517:
497:Masnick, Mike (July 26, 2019).
490:
464:
233:Bruner, Raven (22 March 2022).
687:Brittain, Blake (2021-07-23).
662:Brittain, Blake (2021-06-25).
445:
431:
412:Peters, Justin (24 May 2018).
372:Liebowitz, Richard P. (2006).
365:
346:Peters, Justin (24 May 2018).
146:
116:native, he graduated from the
1:
815:21st-century American lawyers
810:Intellectual property lawyers
219:
184:Southern District of New York
133:Hofstra University Law School
52:Hofstra University Law School
7:
551:Cushing, Tim (2019-11-12).
290:Patrice, Joe (2024-03-14).
10:
846:
118:University of Pennsylvania
48:University of Pennsylvania
830:Hofstra University alumni
87:
79:
65:
40:
28:
21:
805:New York (state) lawyers
83:Liebowitz Law Firm, PLLC
326:The Hollywood Reporter
131:After graduating from
23:Richard P. Liebowitz
639:"Opinion and Order"
197:In June 2020 Judge
163:Disciplinary issues
91:Copyright attorney
188:contempt of court
141:statutory damages
98:Richard Liebowitz
95:
94:
35:Liebowitz in 2019
837:
779:
778:
776:
775:
760:
754:
753:
751:
749:
734:
728:
727:
725:
723:
709:
703:
702:
700:
699:
684:
678:
677:
675:
674:
659:
653:
652:
643:
635:
618:
617:
615:
614:
597:
591:
590:
581:
573:
567:
566:
564:
563:
548:
542:
541:
539:
538:
521:
515:
514:
512:
511:
494:
488:
487:
485:
483:
468:
462:
461:
449:
443:
442:
435:
429:
428:
426:
424:
409:
388:
387:
369:
363:
362:
360:
358:
343:
337:
336:
334:
332:
317:
308:
307:
305:
304:
287:
278:
277:
275:
274:
259:
250:
249:
247:
245:
230:
33:
19:
18:
845:
844:
840:
839:
838:
836:
835:
834:
785:
784:
783:
782:
773:
771:
762:
761:
757:
747:
745:
735:
731:
721:
719:
710:
706:
697:
695:
685:
681:
672:
670:
660:
656:
641:
636:
621:
612:
610:
607:The Smoking Gun
598:
594:
579:
574:
570:
561:
559:
549:
545:
536:
534:
522:
518:
509:
507:
495:
491:
481:
479:
469:
465:
450:
446:
437:
436:
432:
422:
420:
410:
391:
384:
370:
366:
356:
354:
344:
340:
330:
328:
318:
311:
302:
300:
288:
281:
272:
270:
261:
260:
253:
243:
241:
231:
227:
222:
177:copyright troll
169:Lewis A. Kaplan
165:
149:
110:
108:Life and career
75:
61:
50:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
843:
833:
832:
827:
822:
817:
812:
807:
802:
797:
781:
780:
755:
729:
704:
679:
654:
619:
592:
568:
543:
516:
489:
463:
444:
430:
418:Slate Magazine
389:
383:978-0974810348
382:
364:
352:Slate Magazine
338:
309:
279:
251:
224:
223:
221:
218:
204:Second Circuit
164:
161:
148:
145:
109:
106:
93:
92:
89:
88:Known for
85:
84:
81:
77:
76:
74:
73:
69:
67:
63:
62:
60:
59:
44:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
842:
831:
828:
826:
823:
821:
818:
816:
813:
811:
808:
806:
803:
801:
798:
796:
795:Living people
793:
792:
790:
769:
765:
759:
744:
740:
733:
718:
715:
708:
694:
690:
683:
669:
665:
658:
651:
647:
640:
634:
632:
630:
628:
626:
624:
609:
608:
603:
596:
589:
585:
578:
572:
558:
554:
547:
533:
532:
527:
520:
506:
505:
500:
493:
478:
474:
467:
459:
455:
448:
440:
434:
419:
415:
408:
406:
404:
402:
400:
398:
396:
394:
385:
379:
375:
368:
353:
349:
342:
327:
323:
316:
314:
299:
298:
297:Above the Law
293:
286:
284:
268:
264:
258:
256:
240:
236:
229:
225:
217:
214:
211:
207:
205:
200:
195:
193:
189:
185:
180:
178:
174:
170:
160:
156:
154:
144:
142:
138:
134:
129:
127:
123:
119:
115:
105:
103:
102:copyright law
99:
90:
86:
82:
78:
71:
70:
68:
64:
57:
53:
49:
46:
45:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
772:. Retrieved
768:nycourts.gov
767:
758:
746:. Retrieved
742:
732:
720:. Retrieved
716:
707:
696:. Retrieved
692:
682:
671:. Retrieved
667:
657:
645:
611:. Retrieved
605:
595:
583:
571:
560:. Retrieved
556:
546:
535:. Retrieved
529:
519:
508:. Retrieved
502:
492:
480:. Retrieved
476:
466:
457:
447:
433:
421:. Retrieved
417:
373:
367:
355:. Retrieved
351:
341:
329:. Retrieved
325:
301:. Retrieved
295:
271:. Retrieved
267:nycourts.gov
266:
242:. Retrieved
239:Playbill.com
238:
228:
215:
212:
208:
199:Jesse Furman
196:
192:Cathy Seibel
181:
166:
157:
152:
150:
130:
122:Bruce Cotler
111:
97:
96:
748:December 6,
173:Denise Cote
147:Assessments
137:contingency
114:Long Island
80:Employer(s)
789:Categories
774:2021-11-05
698:2021-10-25
673:2021-10-25
613:2019-11-23
562:2019-11-12
537:2019-10-04
510:2019-10-04
303:2024-03-15
273:2024-03-14
244:7 November
220:References
66:Occupation
717:Tech Dirt
477:Tech Dirt
357:7 October
190:by Judge
41:Education
743:TechDirt
557:Techdirt
531:Techdirt
504:Techdirt
482:June 19,
722:July 2,
693:Reuters
668:Reuters
458:Law360
423:25 May
380:
331:25 May
72:Lawyer
650:Recap
642:(PDF)
588:Recap
580:(PDF)
153:Slate
750:2020
724:2020
484:2020
425:2018
378:ISBN
359:2022
333:2018
246:2022
791::
766:.
741:.
691:.
666:.
644:,
622:^
604:.
582:,
555:.
528:.
501:.
475:.
456:.
416:.
392:^
350:.
324:.
312:^
294:.
282:^
265:.
254:^
237:.
112:A
56:JD
777:.
752:.
726:.
701:.
676:.
616:.
565:.
540:.
513:.
486:.
460:.
441:.
427:.
386:.
361:.
335:.
306:.
276:.
248:.
58:)
54:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
