Updates on Three Copyright Disputes Involving Universities and Colleges
Since our initial posts on three copyright cases involving universities and colleges, each dispute has continued to develop. Below is a brief update on where things stand.
Satterwhite v. Berklee College of Music
In March 2025, we first reported on the Complaint filed by professional photographer Alan V. Satterwhite (“Satterwhite”) against Berklee College of Music, Inc. (“Berklee”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Satterwhite alleged that Berklee copied and used his 1974 photograph of musician Stevie Wonder on its website to promote a Stevie Wonder tribute event scheduled for March 2022, without ever obtaining a license or permission. Satterwhite, whose work has appeared in major publications including Time, People, and Sports Illustrated and whose prints are held in the collections of institutions such as the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, discovered the unauthorized use in December 2023 and notified Berklee in March 2024. When the parties could not resolve the matter, he filed suit. The case did not last long. On May 7, 2025, less than two months after the Complaint was filed, Satterwhite’s counsel notified the court that the parties had reached a settlement. A Notice of Settlement followed shortly after, and the case was formally closed on May 13, 2025. The terms of the settlement were not made public.
Indiana Bible College v. Fred Bock Music Company
In July 2025 and March 2026 we reported on this case, which stood out from the start. Rather than a photographer suing a university, here it was a Bible college going on offense. Indiana Bible College (“IBC”) filed a Complaint against Fred Bock Music Company, Inc. (“Fred Bock”) and Dr. Rosephanye Powell (“Dr. Powell”), an Auburn University professor and choral composer, after Dr. Powell publicly accused IBC on Facebook of creating an unauthorized derivative of her composition “The Word Was God.” The post went viral in music and worship communities, was picked up by the Indianapolis Star, and prompted IBC to fire back with a Complaint seeking a court declaration that its composition “John 1” was original and non-infringing, along with claims of defamation and tortious interference with its business relationships.
Despite the very public nature of the dispute, some of the parties resolved it quietly. On March 27, 2026, IBC and Fred Bock filed a Joint Stipulation of Dismissal with Prejudice, confirming they had entered into a confidential settlement agreement resolving all claims. The case was dismissed in its entirety, with each party bearing its own attorneys’ fees and costs. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. It is worth noting that Dr. Powell was not a party to the final dismissal filing, which named only IBC and Fred Bock, so this saga may continue.
Ewald v. Long Island University
In June 2025, we reported on the Complaint filed by Garrett Ewald (“Ewald”), an adjunct professor and independent photographer, against Long Island University (“LIU”) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Ewald alleged that, after he photographed several LIU basketball games and athletic events, LIU refused to pay his invoiced licensing fee and continued using his photographs on its websites and social media accounts without permission. When Ewald disabled the download functionality on his website to prevent further copying, LIU allegedly took screenshots of his images and republished them, intentionally cropping out his copyright credit line to conceal the infringement.
Unlike the other two cases, this one is still very much alive. After a number of filings from both parties, including a nondescript Answer to the Complaint, Ewald filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on May 20, 2026, asking the court to rule in his favor without proceeding to a full trial. The Motion asks the court to find LIU liable for copyright infringement, to find that the infringement after January 13, 2025 was willful, and to find that LIU intentionally removed his copyright management information in violation of federal law. A Memorandum of Law accompanied the Motion. In response, LIU filed its own Motion for Summary Judgment and accompanying Memorandum of Law on May 21, 2026. LIU argued that, instead of a true copyright claim, the case boils down to a contract dispute, a licensing misunderstanding, and a relationship breakdown
We will continue to monitor the case and report on developments as they arise.