Laffapalooza sues a former member, Urban Home Entertainment, Tubi, and Apple over its comedy motion pictures

What was filed

Laffapalooza! LLC d/b/a Laffapalooza! Productions v. Marcus Joseph King, Urban Home Entertainment, Inc., Tubi, Inc., Apple Inc., and Does 1-10, No. 1:26-cv-05720-JPB (N.D. Ga., Atlanta Division), was filed October 2, 2026 (14 pages). Laffapalooza is a Georgia limited liability company formed in 2000 to produce live comedy and other entertainment. The complaint describes Urban Home Entertainment as a Georgia distributor, Tubi as a streaming video platform, and Apple as the operator, with its subsidiaries, of Apple TV and iTunes. (Compl. paras. 10 to 14, 19.)

The works

The complaint alleges Laffapalooza created motion pictures, mostly stand-up comedy routines, from its comedy festivals between 2003 and 2008 and registered them. The Copyright Office's public records list the registrations it cites as PA 1-249-018, PAu 2-914-196, PAu 2-958-112, PAu 3-022-214, PAu 3-095-033, PAu 3-095-032, PA 1-657-332, and PAu 3-368-545. (Compl. paras. 21 to 28.)

What the complaint alleges

It alleges that King, a former member of Laffapalooza, entered into a written agreement in his own name in or about June 2023 under which Urban Home Entertainment would distribute the works; that Laffapalooza learned in late 2024 that the works were on platforms including Apple TV+, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, and Pluto TV, none of which it authorized; that Urban Home Entertainment agreed in 2025 to stop exploiting the works but refused an accounting; and that King claimed to own the works and refused to stop. It alleges, on information and belief, that the defendants have exploited the works without authorization since 2004 and earn more than seven figures a year from them. (Compl. paras. 29 to 39.)

Counts and relief

Count I alleges willful copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. 106 and 501. Count II seeks a declaratory judgment under 28 U.S.C. 2201 that Laffapalooza owns all rights in the works and that the defendants have none. The prayer seeks actual damages and profits or statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work, an accounting and constructive trust, preliminary and permanent injunctions, interest, and fees and costs. (Compl. paras. 41 to 53; Prayer.)