CoStar Files Lawsuit Against Zillow for Copyright Infringement of Tens of Thousands of Photos

CoStar Group has filed a lawsuit against Zillow for copyright infringement, alleging that Zillow has exploited tens of thousands of CoStar's watermarked photographs on its sites and on Redfin and Realtor.com. CoStar claims that Zillow's infringement is deliberate and has been compounded by its recent partnerships with Redfin and Realtor.com. CoStar Group's CEO, Andy Florance, stated that the company will continue to stop this systematic infringement and hold the wrongdoers accountable.

Title: CoStar Group Files Lawsuit Against Zillow for Copyright Infringement

CoStar Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSGP) has filed a lawsuit against Zillow in New York federal court, alleging rampant copyright infringement. The lawsuit, filed on July 30, 2025, claims that Zillow has unlawfully exploited tens of thousands of CoStar's watermarked photographs on its sites and on partner sites Redfin and Realtor.com [2].

CoStar Group, a global leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, online marketplaces, and 3D digital twin technology, has invested billions of dollars in creating a comprehensive database of real estate information, including millions of real estate images [2]. Over the years, CoStar has employed or hired thousands of professional photographers who have created millions of real estate images, which are owned and copyrighted by CoStar Group [2].

According to the lawsuit, Zillow has published more than 46,000 CoStar Group images, many with the distinctive CoStar watermark, displaying those images more than 250,000 times on Zillow alone [2]. The infringement is further compounded by Zillow's recent partnerships with Redfin and Realtor.com, under which Zillow is the sole provider of multifamily listings on all three websites [2].

CoStar Group's CEO, Andy Florance, stated, "Zillow’s theft of tens of thousands of CoStar Group’s copyrighted photographs is nothing short of outrageous. Zillow is profiting from decades of CoStar Group work and the billions of dollars we have invested. Even worse, Zillow is magnifying its infringement on Redfin and Realtor.com. If these other sites do not immediately remove our images, we will have no choice but to sue them as well. We are committed to stopping this systematic infringement and holding the wrongdoers to account" [2].

This lawsuit comes on the heels of CoStar Group's strong Q2 2025 performance, with sales up 15% year over year and all-time high net new bookings of $93 million [1]. The company reported a 108% increase in adjusted EBITDA to $85 million, and Homes.com membership surged 56% sequentially [1].

The lawsuit could have significant implications for both companies. For CoStar Group, it presents an opportunity to protect its intellectual property and potentially secure damages. For Zillow, it could face legal and financial repercussions, including potential damages exceeding a billion dollars [2].

References:
[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/costar-group-inc-csgp-bull-233237152.html
[2] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250730776690/en/CoStar-Sues-Zillow-For-Rampant-Copyright-Infringement