DUBLIN, IRELAND (May 11, 2025) — Robert Cox, owner of the subscription-based website Words in Edgewise, has issued a legal demand to New York attorney Lalit K. Loomba for alleged copyright infringement involving an article published on Cox’s platform. In a letter dated May 10, 2025, Cox accuses Loomba of violating U.S. copyright law and the website’s Terms of Service by reproducing and distributing a protected article without permission.
SEE: Notice of Copyright Infringement and Demand for Settlement
The article, titled My Response to Lawfare by Dawn Warren, Adam Salgado, and the City of New Rochelle, was published on January 6, 2025, and is accessible only to paid subscribers of Words in Edgewise. Cox claims that Loomba, who purchased a subscription on the same date, converted the article into a PDF and shared it with lawyers at his firm and municipal officials, none of whom are subscribers. This action, Cox argues, breached the site’s Terms of Service, which prohibit reproduction and distribution of content for non-personal use.
“Your unauthorized reproduction and distribution of the Article have violated these rights, as well as the Terms of Service governing your subscription to my website,” Cox wrote in the letter. He cited the “Ownership and Restrictions on Use” section, which grants subscribers a limited license for personal use only, and the “Code of Conduct” section, which prohibits sharing content that infringes copyright.
Cox asserts that Loomba’s actions constitute copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 106, undermining the paywall model of his website and causing financial harm. He estimates that at least 10 individuals accessed the article without subscribing, representing a loss of $700 in subscription revenue at $70 annually per subscriber. Cox is demanding a settlement payment of $2,100, calculated as three times the estimated lost revenue, to cover damages and harm to his content distribution model.
The letter also demands that Loomba cease further use of the article, destroy all copies of the PDF, and sign an agreement acknowledging the infringement. Cox set a deadline of May 24, 2025, for Loomba to respond, warning that failure to comply could lead to a federal lawsuit seeking up to $150,000 in statutory damages for willful infringement, as well as attorney’s fees and costs.
The Terms of Service allow Words in Edgewise to terminate Loomba’s access and pursue injunctive relief, with disputes subject to binding arbitration unless Cox opts for court action to protect intellectual property rights. “I urge you to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and to respond promptly to avoid escalation,” Cox wrote, expressing hope for an amicable resolution.
Loomba, of The Quinn Law Firm in White Plains, New York, has not publicly responded to the allegations. The outcome of the dispute could set a precedent for how subscription-based content is protected under copyright law.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.