A New York state court has formally disbarred Richard Liebowitz, an attorney with a significant history of handling copyright cases. Known by many in the legal world for lodging thousands of lawsuits on behalf of photographers, often in an effort to procure settlements, Liebowitz’s conduct has frequently come under scrutiny.
He has been described by federal judges as a “copyright troll,” a term that has been used to denote individuals or firms that use copyright infringement threats and litigation to intimidate and extort money from defendants. His disbarment is a result of multiple sanctions levied against him for misconduct.
The court’s decision to disbar Liebowitz was based on a review of 14 cases presided over by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, in which Liebowitz was found to have committed misconduct. In 2020, this same court had suspended Liebowitz from practicing and issued a sanction of $100,000 against him. This sanction came approximately four years prior to his final disbarment.
Before this final judgment, Liebowitz had already been suspended indefinitely from practicing law. The disbarment solidifies the conclusion of his controversial career in the legal profession.
This disbarment serves as a reminder to legal professionals of the importance of ethics and conduct in the legal profession, a field where reputation and trust are paramount.