Seeing Double: When is a knockoff a rip-off?
Atlanta lawyers John Bowler and Mike Hobbs were quoted, and Puja Patel Lea and Lindsay Mitchell Henner were mentioned in an October 12 Atlanta magazine article titled “ Seeing Double: When is a knockoff a rip-off? An Atlanta artist finds the answer with a lawsuit.”
The quartet was mentioned for its representation of Roswell artist Zheng Li in a copyright infringement lawsuit that involved his original oil painting, Piano #9. In 2012, Li was visiting an Atlanta Z Gallerie store when he found paintings titled Piano Coloratura for sale that were virtual copies of his work. Subsequent investigation confirmed that Piano Coloratura was being sold across the country via websites and galleries. With the help of John, Mike, Puja and Lindsay, Li sued more than a dozen galleries and stores that were selling the knockoff. In April, a federal jury awarded Li $885,174, finding that the 2004 copyright for his painting had been infringed.
“I think they thought we might give up,” Mike said about some of the defendants that refused to settle out of court. “But we never wavered once.”