A judge refused Wednesday to set aside a jury’s verdict that Agence France-Presse and Getty Images (US) Inc. must pay $1.22 million for willfully infringing photojournalist Daniel Morel’s award-winning images of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The ruling is the latest in a string of victories for Morel’s lead trial lawyer, Joseph Baio of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, who may soon be financially rewarded for a case he’s called a labor of love.
In a 30-page decision, U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan denied AFP and Getty’s request that she set aside the jury’s willfulness finding, which was the backbone of the damages award. The judge also left intact much of the jury determination that the media companies should pay a combined $20,000 for undermining the integrity of “copyright management information” in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
