Japanese Food Photographer Awarded $7K After Canadian Firm Makes use of His Images

A Japanese meals photographer has been awarded over $7,260 after a Canadian meals supply firm used two of his pictures on its web site with out permission.

Shoichi Matsumoto, a well-liked Japanese meals photographer and influencer who has had his recipes featured in The New York Times and on the Food Network, sued Canadian meals supply firm Canuck Eats. Matsumoto filed the lawsuit in Canada’s Federal Court in British Columbia.

According to a report by the Vancouver Sun, Matsumoto says he found two of his meals pictures on Canuck Eats’ web site. The photographer says his two pictures had been utilized in reference to two eating places in Oshawa, Ontario, for which the corporate supplied supply companies. Matsumoto, who runs the No Recipes meals weblog, despatched a requirement letter to the corporate over the alleged copyright infringement, however didn’t obtain a response. He filed the lawsuit towards Canuck Eats in June 2024, after the British Columbia-based meals supply firm refused to take away his copyrighted pictures from its web site.

Vancouver Sun studies that Federal Court choose Angela Furlanetto dominated that Canuck Eats, a nationwide meals supply franchise headquartered in British Columbia, infringed Matsumoto’s copyright. As Canuck Eats didn’t file an announcement of defence in response to the lawsuit and didn’t current any proof explaining why it shouldn’t be required to pay damages. Judge Furlanetto issued a default judgment in Matsumoto’s favor, and the Federal Court awarded Matsumoto $7,260 (10,000 Canadian {dollars}) in whole.

Judge Furlanetto ordered Canuck Eats to pay $2,178 (3,000 Canadian {dollars}) in damages for every of the 2 pictures used with out permission. The choose famous that this quantity represented half of what Matsumoto claimed he usually expenses shoppers in licensing or manufacturing charges for comparable pictures.

Matsumoto additionally requested punitive damages, arguing that Canuck Eats’ actions had been deliberate, profit-driven, and continued over a protracted interval. Judge Furlanetto awarded a further £1,452 (2,000 Canadian {dollars}) in punitive damages, stating that such damages are supposed to sentence the conduct and discourage comparable behaviour by others. The courtroom additionally ordered Canuck Eats to pay Matsumoto’s authorized prices, which amounted to roughly $1,815 (2,500 Canadian {dollars}).

The Vancouver Sun additionally studies {that a} second Japanese meals influencer Shen Chen introduced a separate declare towards Canuck Eats alongside Matsumoto. Chen alleged that the corporate used 11 of his meals pictures with out permission. However, Judge Furlanetto dismissed his declare after discovering that he didn’t have the authorized authority to convey the lawsuit, because the copyright to the pictures belonged to his firm Just One Cookbook, reasonably than to him personally.

Image credit: Header photograph licensed through Depositphotos.