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Judge Awards Photographer $10K in Copyright Suit Over Unlicensed Eric Adams Photo

Brooklyn, NY – A federal judge has awarded $10,000 in statutory damages to an award-winning photojournalist whose photo of New York City Mayor Eric Adams was used without permission by a media website.

In a decision issued August 1, 2025, U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan granted default judgment in favor of plaintiff Paul Martinka against defendant Digital One Media Ltd, which operates the Bengali-language news site AjkalNewYork.com. Martinka alleged that the site displayed his copyrighted image of Mayor Adams in February 2022 without licensing or authorization, in violation of the Copyright Act.

The Court found that the infringement was willful, citing the defendant’s failure to respond to cease-and-desist letters or to appear in court after being properly served.

“Defendant frequently uses stolen pictures and videos to attract viewers,” the Court noted, relying on unrebutted allegations in the complaint.

Despite finding willfulness, Judge Cogan declined to award the maximum statutory damages of $30,000. Instead, he awarded $10,000, finding the sum “sufficient to compensate plaintiff and to deter future infringement, without being disproportionate to the likely value of the license or the scale of the infringement.”

The judge also awarded $402 in court costs and permanently enjoined Digital One from ever using Martinka’s photo again.

What’s Next?

Although the infringing image has since been removed, the decision sends a clear message to online publishers who republish copyrighted materials without permission—particularly those who fail to respond to legal demands or court proceedings.

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Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

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