Higbee Fraud (class action for people who have already settled?)

[prgenovese]

Hello All,

Recently I settled with Mathew Higbee because he told me he "routinely" obtains "judgments" of 25,000 or more.  Does anyone know if he actually ever proceeds to the "judgment" stage?  He might have meant "settlements" but that would be a lie, wouldn't it?

Thinking about bringing a fraud claim against him.  Would anybody want to join?

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

he claims himeself that a vast majority of "cases" are settled before getting to court....he lied to you, you believed him, and ponied up...good luck with anything fraud related..and good luck finding an attorney that would entertain trying to get a class action suit off the ground, it's been discussed here many times, and will likely never happen.

[UnfairlyTargeted]

Who was the photographer in question?  It'll be easier to go after him.

[prgenovese]

I don't know if we could go after photographer.  He's not the one who told a lie after all.  Does anyone know if Higbee has actually ever proceeded to judgment?

I don't really have an attorney but does anyone think class action might work?  Anyone else get threatened with large judgments?

[oneiromancer]

I'm in the same situation, and I'd be interesting in talking more about a class action suit against Higbee. The guy is proud of the sleazy way he operates, and actually has a quote from this Fast Company article on his website:

https://www.fastcompany.com/40494777/here-come-the-copyright-robots-for-hire-with-lawyers-in-tow

[UnfairlyTargeted]

Absolutely go after the photographer.  Photographers usually don't have the same stomach for getting dragged thru the dirt as lawyers.  And they're the ones who are keeping Higbee in business.  Especially when you find out half of these photographers aren't even professionals.  They're people who go around copying each other's ideas, couldn't make a real dime from their so called artwork to save their life, and brag in the amateur hour photography forums about how they extorted a new lens out of someone for their hobby.  I'm proposing a different strategy here than what's been presented in the past, and I believe from my own experience it can be highly successful.  Do some research and you'll agree.

[kingkendall]

Hello All,

He's lying through his teeth!  By judgment if you mean a copyright infringement case going to the trial stage and a verdict by a jury, I haven't seen one yet.  That's not what Higbee is about.  He's not even a intellectual property lawyer. He makes his money by what he did to you, scaring them into paying.  Otherwise known as snatching up the low hanging fruit by the threat of filing without actually filing a suit.  How much did you settle for? 

[Matthew Chan]

The photographer is the person who would have to authorize a lawyer to handle its case (responsibly or not).  The photographer is also the person who ultimately decides to file a lawsuit or not.

Clients have a lot more say than people realize. Photographers are not these people who have no say.  They generally have FINAL SAY of what their lawyers can and cannot do. Photographers may not know specifically every single thing that a lawyer does but they can be brought to their attention. And if they choose to disregard any information brought to them, at that point, a photographer/client is culpable.

Essentially, what I am saying is that approaching the photographer directly and putting the heat on them can potentially work because they have final say. However, most photographers will generally say, "my lawyer is handling it". But that doesn't mean you cannot plead your case or say what is on your mind if you are upset.

I don't know if we could go after photographer.  He's not the one who told a lie after all.  Does anyone know if Higbee has actually ever proceeded to judgment?