Calan Beasley sues Commerce Media Holdings over Pigeons & Planes posts of four performance videos

The complaint

Beasley v. Commerce Media Holdings, LLC, No. 2:26-cv-12539 (C.D. Cal.), was filed October 27, 2026. The complaint is Document 1, runs 17 pages, and demands a jury. The plaintiff is Calan Beasley, an individual the complaint places in Hamilton County, Ohio, and describes as a professional photographer and videographer. The defendant is Commerce Media Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company the complaint places in Los Angeles, California. It alleges the defendant owns the Pigeons & Planes trademark and operates the brand through Facebook page Pigeons and Planes, Instagram @pigsandplans, X @PigsAndPlans, and TikTok @pigsandplans. Jurisdiction is pleaded under 28 U.S.C. 1331 and 1338(a); venue under 28 U.S.C. 1391(b)(2) and 1400(a).

The videos

The complaint asserts four original audiovisual works: a Waka Flocka Flame edited video first published August 16, 2025, registered as PA 2-584-722; a Waka Flocka Flame moshing video first published August 15, 2025, registered as PA 2-584-729; an EsDeeKid video first published February 3, 2026, registered as PA 2-584-751; and a Fakemink video first published September 8, 2025, registered as PA 2-595-619. Copyright Office records list registration dates of February 23, 2026, for the two Waka Flocka Flame videos and the EsDeeKid video, and April 17, 2026, for the Fakemink video. The complaint attaches screengrabs of the videos as Exhibit 1 and of the accused posts as Exhibit 2; neither exhibit is on the public docket. Beasley alleges he licenses the works for online and social-media publication and maintains exclusive rights under the Copyright Act.

What the complaint alleges

It alleges that on or about August 19, 2025, the defendant reproduced and publicly displayed the two Waka Flocka videos on Facebook and Instagram and the moshing video on X; that on or about February 4, 2026, it posted the EsDeeKid video on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok; and that on or about September 9, 2025, it posted the Fakemink video on Facebook and X, each without authorization. It alleges Beasley first observed the Waka Flocka and EsDeeKid posts on February 13, 2026, and the Fakemink posts on March 27, 2026. It alleges that the accounts are monetized and drive traffic to the defendant's advertising-supported websites. It alleges, on information and belief, that the defendant is a sophisticated media company, that employees and other representatives acting for it selected and published the content, and that the defendant and its Complex media properties have been sued for copyright infringement before, which the complaint says shows a pattern of infringement. It alleges the infringement was willful.

Claims and relief requested

The complaint states two causes of action: direct copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. 501 et seq., and vicarious copyright infringement. The prayer asks for a finding of infringement; actual damages and disgorgement of profits under 17 U.S.C. 504(b), or, at plaintiff's election, statutory damages under 504(c) with respect to the EsDeeKid Video, whichever is larger; an injunction under section 502(a); costs of litigation under section 505, and reasonable attorneys' fees under section 505 with respect to the EsDeeKid Video; pre-judgment interest; and other relief the court deems just and proper.