Freedom News TV, LLC (FNTV) has filed a complaint against Red Apple Media, Inc. for alleged copyright infringement. They claim that Red Apple Media took a video still from the defendant and published it without permission to the website for WABC Radio. At the time of the writing of this article, the video still and the story with which it appeared have been taken down.
FNTV is a small news company that records and publishes videos to its YouTube channel and its website. On September 20, 2021, they authored and published a video of a group of protestors confronting a member of a group referred to in the complaint as “Guardian Angels.” One week later, on the 28th, FNTV observed their video frame published, without permission, accompanying a news article on WABC Radio’s website.
FNTV argues that since their videos are original, creative works protected by copyright, they are entitled to damages from WABC Radio who, allegedly, profited without permission from the use of the video still. They seek damages and disgorgement of all profits derived from advertising alongside the article as determined by a jury trial. They also seek compensation for legal fees and an injunction against further use of FNTV’s videos by WABC Radio.
FNTV is represented by Sanders Law Group, and the case has been filed in the Southern District of New York, where both the plaintiff and the defendant do business.
