[chimeracoder]

> The person who bought the painting is not losing millions of dollars, only failing to gain them. By the time the case is over, they'll probably be in the negative. Pure sunk cost fallacy

This is an example of the endowment effect (fear of losing value that one perceives to already have), not sunk cost. Sunk cost would be if they continue the trial based on the amount of money they have already spent in fees, as opposed to the money they believe they can recoup later.

(Even that isn't necessarily sunk cost, because legal fees can be covered by the losing party in egregious cases, though that's unlikely here).