A Serbian photographer from Belgrade (Serbia) noticed one of his pictures being sold as a canvas on the retailer’s website without his consent. He proceeded to contact Radovanović Stojanović & Partners. Due to the retailer’s headquarters being in Minnesota (USA), Radovanović Stojanović & Partners teamed up with Patterson Thuente IP from Minnesota, which is one of the leading US law firms specialized in the intellectual property.

Led by Jim Patterson and Tye Biasco, Patterson Thuente team needed to register the photographer’s copyright with the U.S. Copyright Registration Office. It is necessary to register copyrights with the federal government in order to enforce them in Federal Court in the USA.

The Patterson Thuente team began preparations to sue the retailer for copyright infringement, which eventually led them to a supplier in Ohio — the entity from which the retailer purchased the infringing material. After negotiations, the supplier ceased the infringing activity and agreed to a settlement favorable to the Serbian photographer. In addition to the settlement, the supplier requested to review his full art portfolio for the possibility of a future licensing agreement.

The RSP team was led by Saša Stojanović and also involved Đorđe Vićić.