Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate.
CoStar sues Zillow over copyright infringement
CoStar Group, on July 30, sued Zillow over alleged “widespread and systematic” copyright infringement of rental listing photos.
“Zillow’s theft of tens of thousands of CoStar Group’s copyrighted photographs is nothing short of outrageous,” said CoStar Group founder and CEO Andy Florance in a statement. “Zillow is profiting from decades of CoStar Group work and the billions of dollars we have invested.”
The filing also claims that Redfin and Realtor.com® used these same images by way of “lucrative syndication agreements,” referring to them as Zillow’s “partners” or “supposed competitors.”
“If these other sites do not immediately remove our images, we will have no choice but to sue them as well,” Florance added.
At press time, it did not appear CoStar had filed those lawsuits, and the two companies declined to comment on the threat.
LGBTQ+ Alliance regains control of financial accounts
The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance was returned control of its financial accounts, on July 25, after former CEO Ryan Weyandt took control of them, allegedly doing so following allegations that the trade group was in despair.
The ruling states that Weyandt, who is facing felony charges in Minnesota for alleged possession of explicit content involving minors, must return the group’s domains, emails, social media profiles and financial accounts.
Weyandt left the organization in December 2024, and in June 2025, he told the group’s leaders over email that he had assumed emergency oversight as the Alliance’s incorporator and listed agent with the IRS and Minnesota Secretary of State.
According to the filing, Weyandt was directed to close the group’s bank account by August 25 and is also prohibited from accessing the remaining accounts. And, partially due to the criminal allegations against him, the former CEO is not allowed to speak or act on behalf of the Alliance.
Judge dismisses lawsuit against NAR brought on by Pennsylvania-based broker
Maurice Muhammad, a Pennsylvania broker, filed an antitrust lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and local associations in late 2024. Late last week, a judge dismissed the ruling, given the “bare and conclusory allegations.”
“Muhammad has…failed to sufficiently allege that the membership requirement to access the MLS imposed an unreasonable restraint on trade,” the judge wrote.
In a statement shared with RISMedia, an NAR spokesperson said the organization is “pleased” with the ruling.
“This decision reinforces the National Association of Realtors®’s position that its policies foster competition and are not discriminatory. Like other national membership organizations, NAR’s integrated structure is essential to the value we provide our members,” the spokesperson wrote.
