Zillow has begun removing thousands of photos tied to CoStar’s July 30th copyright complaint. Multiple news sources confirm Zillow is notifying its partners and characterizing the move as a routine step during active litigation.
Here’s what we know so far.
What changed this week
Zillow began removing the disputed images and alerting partners that more removals are coming, as first reported by Real Estate News. The company has not admitted wrongdoing and has not yet filed its official response to CoStar’s complaint.
The deadline for that response is September 30th in the Southern District of New York.
The case by the numbers
CoStar’s complaint says Zillow displayed nearly 46,000 CoStar-copyrighted images on Zillow Rentals. Those images were displayed more than 250,000 times across Zillow’s sites and also appeared on Redfin and Realtor.com through listing or syndication agreements.
CoStar characterizes the case as one of the largest image infringements in history and suggests damages could top $1 billion.
It also reports that most of the images are from multifamily rental listings and that the CoStar logo was sometimes obscured or cropped.
Where partners fit in
Because Zillow syndicates to Redfin and Realtor.com, some disputed photos surfaced there, too.
When the suit was filed, CoStar’s CEO Andy Florance warned both companies to remove the images immediately or face legal action.
What each side is saying
A company source for Zillow calls the takedowns a routine litigation procedure.
CoStar, on the other hand, takes a different view. In an email, Gene Boxer, CoStar General Counsel, suggested:
“When caught red-handed, some companies issue apologies — but Zillow tries to hide its wrongdoing.
“Before CoStar sued, Zillow knowingly displayed tens of thousands of CoStar’s watermarked photos and monetized them on its rental platform and partner network. We look forward to holding Zillow to account for its mass infringement.”
Stay tuned for more as the story develops.
