Journal Inquirer sues Courant over copying incident

In an article titled Suit Accuses Hartford Courant of Plagiarism , the New York Times informs us that the "Journal Inquirer of Manchester, Conn., has sued The Courant" over copying news articles, but never quite tells us what the cause of action is. There is no cause of action for plagiarism, but there is one for copyright infringement.

An article in the Courant was a bit more specific:

The Journal Inquirer of Manchester has served The Hartford Courant with a lawsuit alleging plagiarism and seeking damages under copyright laws and the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.

The AP also was more explicit than the NYT:

The Journal Inquirer's lawsuit, filed Thursday in Hartford Superior Court, alleges the Courant violated the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act and federal copyright law. It seeks at least $15,000 in damages, plus court and attorney fees.

See previous IPBiz posts:


"INS v. AP" in the 21st century: ABC, CNBC on Obama/Kanye West story

http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2009/09/americas-oldest-newspaper-apologizes.html

**Zack Lowe at AmLawDaily writes:

The suit, filed in state court, seeks damages in excess of $15,000 and accuses the Courant of violating trademark laws and unfair competition statutes.

Note to Zack: this looks more like copyright than trademark.