A recent legal tussle has unfolded that pits clients against their former lawyer in a unique case of online defamation. The case involves alleged copyright infringement, where a lawyer claims that two of her former clients used her personal photographs without her consent to post unfavorable reviews of her online.
Lili Bell has launched a suit against Yizhi Liu and Ziqi Liu, claiming copyright infringement. It is alleged that the defendants used photographs owned by Bell in a series of social media posts targeting the attorney in connection to her work at her law firm. This information is contained within the complaint filed by Ms. Bell in the US District Court for the Central District of California, Docket No. 8:24-cv-00331.
Remarkably, the case underscores the potentially alarming issue of unauthorized usage of copyrighted photos on social media, particularly when it affects professionals directly in their practice. The claimant, Ms. Bell, further alleges that the defendants refused to settle legal fees pursuant to a retainer agreement, leading them to post the defamatory content on an online forum.
It should be noted that falsifying negative reviews is an increasingly common concern among professionals and businesses. Although reviews serve as an indispensable tool for customers to evaluate quality, unscrupulous competitors and disgruntled clients also use it as a channel for defamation. In such cases, the legality of using copyrighted content without permission for such defamation provides an interesting ground for discussion among legal practitioners.
For more details on the case, you can read the complete story on Bloomberg Law.