The Brahman Journal alleges ABBA used South Texas State Fair champion photos and removed CMI

The complaint

Caballo Rojo Publishing Group, LP d/b/a The Brahman Journal v. American Brahman Breeders Association, No. 4:26-cv-09656 (S.D. Tex., Houston Division), was filed November 3, 2026, ECF No. 1 (12 pages). The Brahman Journal is described as a Texas limited partnership based in Hempstead, Texas, that publishes a monthly Brahman cattle magazine. American Brahman Breeders Association (ABBA) is described as a Texas non-profit corporation based in Bryan, Texas, that maintains a breed registry. An order entered November 4, 2026, set an initial pretrial and scheduling conference for February 19, 2027, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Sim Lake.

The works

The complaint says Victoria Lambert, owner of The Brahman Journal, took 32 photographs of champion Brahman cattle at the South Texas State Fair in Beaumont, Texas, around March 28, 2026, that The Brahman Journal published photographs including eight Grand and Reserve Grand champion images with its logo and copyright designation on Facebook on or about March 28 and 29, 2026, and that on June 23, 2026, the Copyright Office issued Registration No. VA 2-509-049 to Victoria Lambert for the group titled "2026 STSF Grand and Reserve Grand photos." It says that on or about September 22, 2026, she assigned all rights in the works to Caballo Rojo Publishing Group, LP d/b/a The Brahman Journal. The Copyright Office public record for Registration No. VA 2-509-049 shows a group registration of 32 published photographs from March 28 to 29, 2026, with a registration date of June 23, 2026, listing Victoria L Lambert as author and claimant.

What the complaint alleges

The complaint alleges that on or about June 2, 2026, ABBA published and distributed by email a newsletter titled "The Show Report | May 2026" that included eight photographs of South Texas State Fair champion cattle in grey and red female and bull champion and reserve categories. It alleges, on information and belief, that ABBA obtained those photographs from The Brahman Journal's Facebook page, that The Brahman Journal did not authorize the use, and that ABBA altered or removed The Brahman Journal logo and copyright designation from each photograph before publishing them. It further alleges, on information and belief, that the infringing conduct was willful.

Claims and relief

Count I is copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 501. Count II is violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 1202, for removal or alteration of CMI under § 1202(b)(1) and distribution knowing CMI had been removed or altered under § 1202(b)(3). The prayer seeks judgments under §§ 501 and 1202; statutory damages under §§ 504 and 1203; attorneys' fees and costs under §§ 505 and 1203; and other relief.