CoStar Group (NASDAQ: CGSP) announced it has filed an amended complaint in its ongoing lawsuit against Zillow (NASDAQ: Z, ZG), alleging the Seattle-based brokerage has continued to commit copyright infringement of its photographs.
According to the updated filing, Zillow has unlawfully used more than 50,000 CoStar’s proprietary images across its sites, even including the CoStar watermark on its postings. The amended complaint also alleges that Zillow reposted images it had previously claimed to remove, even after being put on notice.
CoStar General Counsel Gene Boxer stated, “Since CoStar Group filed this lawsuit in July 2025, Zillow’s infringement has only gotten worse—and increasingly brazen. Zillow infringed thousands of new CoStar copyrighted images after being sued, many plainly stamped with our watermark, bringing the total number of images at issue to more than 53,000. Even worse, after claiming to have removed the images CoStar specifically identified in its original complaint, Zillow turned around and re-published many of those very same photographs. Zillow has the tools to stop—it is simply choosing not to, hoping that its mass-infringement scheme will return a profit. We look forward to holding Zillow to account.”
Zillow responded to CoStar’s amended complaint with a statement that said, “CoStar’s decision to amend the complaint rather than respond to our motion to dismiss is yet another proof point in the weaknesses of their arguments and also a perpetual model of wastefully leveraging litigation rather than competing on the basis of product quality and consumer experience.”
It is sad to me as a Realtor, that any platform can claim copywrite protection for residential photos which begin as property of the home seller or Realtor. CoStar has crews and spends it’s resources to photograph commercial buildings so it clearly should have protection of those photos. Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com sites all should be recognizing that their content originates with Realtor’s listings – and neither the property seller or Realtor is compensated for sharing this data with the platforms which then take it to charge other licensees for ” leads” based upon who, in the public, views those listings. It’s time to change this !
Most photos are actually owned by the photographer, yes, we as agents pay for them, but most photographers make you sign an agreement stating you do not own the photos they do unless they charge you more money. as a member , of homes.com, agents get free Matterport shot by costar/homes.com photographers. Assuming THOSE are the images in dispute.
Why is Zillow &Realtor.com scraping data from commercial listing sites. Restrict scraping to residential listings (where neither gets permission from listing brokers to advertise listings as required by NAR) Even rather simple commercial deals lack protections afforded under Federal & state laws. Keep residential in its lane and commercial in its lane.NAR must enforce its own rules; becomes irrelevant without enforcement (sent from iPhone)
Costar owns homes.com where its residential listings lie and as a member , agents get free Matterport shot by costar/homes.com photographers. Assuming THOSE are the images in dispute.
this has always been more exposure for the seller….thats how the IDX thing came about….so if you listed with me it would be on everyones website with my photos , copy and their name and phone. It worked very well for years….and it is better exposure for the seller and buyer