The complaint
Great Bowery, Inc. d/b/a Trunk Archive v. The Royal Native Corp., No. 1:26-cv-05978 (E.D.N.Y.), was filed September 25, 2026 (11 pages). Trunk Archive is a photography licensing agency. The Royal Native Corp. is described as an independent fashion brand based in Locust Valley, New York. Trunk Archive demands a jury trial. (Compl. caption; para. 19.)
The work
The complaint alleges that a photographer it represents is the sole author of a black-and-white photograph of a model crouching to select a book from a shelf, registered as VA 2-420-095 with an effective date of October 30, 2024, and that she granted Trunk Archive the exclusive right to license it. The Copyright Office public record for VA 2-420-095 lists a group registration of published photographs from 1997 and a registration date of October 6, 2024. (Compl. paras. 14 to 18; Copyright Office record.)
What it alleges
The complaint alleges that Royal Native controls the Instagram account @theroyalnative and that on or about April 23, 2026 Trunk Archive found the photograph as the last image in a carousel post promoting the brand's jacket, with a caption telling viewers to scroll to the last photo. It alleges Trunk Archive never licensed the use and, on information and belief, that the use was deliberate and willful, and says the parties could not resolve the matter before suit. (Compl. paras. 20, 25 to 35.)
The count and relief
The single count pleads copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. 101 et seq. The prayer asks for a finding of infringement, actual damages and profits or, at Trunk Archive's election, statutory damages, costs and fees under 17 U.S.C. 505, and interest. (Compl. paras. 36 to 42; Prayer.)
On the docket
The docket shows a corporate disclosure statement and the case referred to arbitration. (Docket, ECF Nos. 7 to 8.)