Jury awards $3.2 million to Texas firm in copyright case

A federal jury returned a $3.2 million verdict in favor of Kipp Flores Architects in a copyright infringement suit filed against Hallmark Design Homes.

The jury found that Hallmark infringed on the Austin, Texas-based firm’s copyrights when it constructed hundreds of houses from copyrighted architectural designs.

According to the jury, the total of the verdict is based on Hallmark’s profits from the sales of the homes built from the copyrighted designs.

“We are gratified that the jury vindicated our position and acted to protect our intellectual property,” said Kipp Flores Architects Principal Sabas Flores. “Architectural copyright infringement is a significant problem nationally, and we hope this verdict will send a message to those in the industry who do not take this issue seriously.”