The complaint
Great Bowery, Inc. d/b/a Trunk Archive v. GemTech Rejuvenation Center LLC and Does 1 through 10, No. 8:26-cv-03237 (C.D. Cal.), was filed November 3, 2026, ECF No. 1 (9 pages), with a jury demand. Trunk Archive is described as a Delaware corporation and photography licensing agency with a place of business in New York. GemTech Rejuvenation Center LLC is described as a California limited liability company with a principal place of business in Chino Hills, California.
The work
The complaint alleges that photographer Florian Sommet, whom Trunk Archive represents, is the sole author of a close-up beauty photograph of a model with beauty instruments placed around her face, that Sommet registered it as VA 2-228-838 with an effective date of October 19, 2020, and that Sommet granted Trunk Archive the exclusive right to license it, including the exclusive rights to distribute, display, and reproduce it. The Copyright Office public record for VA 2-228-838 lists a group registration of 46 published photographs titled Florian Sommet 2013 Photo Collection, published January 1 to May 1, 2013, with Florian Sommet as author and claimant and a registration date of October 19, 2020.
What the complaint alleges
The complaint alleges, upon information and belief, that the defendant owns and operates a commercial website promoting rejuvenation services, and that on or about June 4, 2026, Trunk Archive found the photograph published as the centerpiece image on the website homepage above descriptions of the defendant's services. It alleges that neither Trunk Archive nor Sommet licensed the use, that the defendant ignored Trunk Archive's attempts, through counsel, to resolve the matter informally, and, on information and belief, that the use was deliberate and willful because the defendant knew or should have known it had not purchased a license.
Claims and relief
The sole cause of action is copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq. The prayer seeks a finding of infringement; actual damages and disgorgement of profits under 17 U.S.C. § 504 or, at plaintiff's election, statutory damages under § 504(c); costs and attorneys' fees under § 505; an injunction under § 502; pre-judgment interest; and other relief.