Vilenchik v. Gregerson (Letter) [1] SummaryThreat Type: CorrespondenceDate: 10/04/2005Status: ConcludedDisposition: Lawsuit FiledLocation: Minnesota Verdict or Settlement Amount: N/ALegal Claims: Defamation Gregerson is a photographer who maintains a website containing his professional photographs. Vilana Financial, Inc. used two of Gregerson's pictures without permission in phone-book and web advertisements, and print advertisements in a local Russian-language newspaper. Gregerson discovered Vilana's use of his photographs... read full description PartiesParty Issuing Legal Threat: Andrew VilenchikParty Receiving Legal Threat: Chris GregersonType of Party: IndividualType of Party: IndividualLocation of Party: MinnesotaLocation of Party: MinnesotaLegal Counsel: Richard Raver - Smith & Raver, LLP Description Gregerson is a photographer who maintains a website containing his professional photographs. Vilana Financial, Inc. used two of Gregerson's pictures without permission in phone-book and web advertisements, and print advertisements in a local Russian-language newspaper. Gregerson discovered Vilana's use of his photographs and contacted the company asking for compensation. Vilana refused, claiming that it purchased the photographs from a third party (neither party was able to locate this third party during the subsequent litigation). Gregerson devoted a portion of his website to a discussion of the disagreement over the photographs. On it, he claimed that Andrew Vilenchik had published two of his photos without permission in a series of ads for Vilana. Along with the text, Gregerson posted a photograph of Vilenchik. According to Gregerson's website, on October 4, 2005, Richard Raver sent him a cease-and-desist letter on behalf of Vilenchik, demanding that Gregerson remove the webpage or face a lawsuit for defamation. Apparently, Gregerson replied with an offer to remove anything that Vilenchik could show was not true. Vilana Financial filed a lawsuit against Gregerson in Minnesota state court on October 24, 2005. Please see the [2]CMLP's Database Entry on the related lawsuit, Gregerson v. Vilana Financial [2], for more information on the status of the suit. Related Links: CMLP's Database Entry on the Related Lawsuit: Gregerson v. Vilana Financial [2] DetailsWeb Site(s) Involved: Phototour of Minneapolis [3] Content Type: PhotoTextPublication Medium: WebsiteSubject Area: Defamation Court Information & DocumentsJurisdiction: Minnesota CMLP Information (Private)CMLP Notes: related to Gregerson v. Vilana Financial [2]