Level 12 Productions sues The Young Turks over a Nationals Park banner video posted to TYT pages

What was filed

Level 12 Productions, LLC v. The Young Turks, Inc., No. 2:26-cv-13193 (C.D. Cal.), is a 12-page complaint filed November 11, 2026, with a jury demand. The plaintiff, Level 12 Productions, LLC, is described as a New York limited liability company and a video production company that produces, publishes, and licenses news footage under the “BG On The Scene” name. The defendant, The Young Turks, Inc., is described as a Delaware corporation based in Los Angeles, California, that operates the TYT digital news network.

The video

The complaint alleges that on May 17, 2026, during a Washington Nationals game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., a videographer recorded a political activist and others unfurling a large banner calling for mass deportations over an upper-deck railing, along with the reaction of the crowd and stadium staff, in a video of about one minute and fourteen seconds. It alleges that the videographer, by a written copyright assignment dated March 6, 2026, assigned to Level 12 his rights in the works he creates during the term of that agreement, that the video was created during that term, that Level 12 first published the video on X on May 17, 2026, with an “@bgonthescene” watermark, and that it was registered on June 11, 2026, under Registration No. PA 2-607-299, within three months of its first publication. The Copyright Office public record for PA0002607299 is a motion picture registration dated June 11, 2026, with a first publication date of May 17, 2026, listing an individual author and Level 12 Productions, LLC as claimant by written agreement.

What the complaint alleges

The complaint alleges that on or about May 18, 2026, without permission, the company reproduced the full video, superimposed its own “TYT” logo and the caption “@BGONTHESCENE/TWITTER,” and uploaded it to its “The Young Turks,” “The Breakdown,” and “TYT Sports” Facebook pages and its “TYT Sports” YouTube channel, with the plaintiff's watermark still visible beneath the logo. It alleges that commentary played over the video reports on and reacts to the event it depicts, does not comment on the video itself, and did not require reproducing the entire video. It alleges that the posts are not links to or embeds of the plaintiff's post and, on information and belief, that the company downloaded a copy of the video and uploaded it as its own native post on each of its Facebook pages and its YouTube channel.

According to the complaint, Level 12 notified the company through counsel on or about October 13, 2026, and the company has not identified any license or paid for the use. It alleges that the posts on the “The Young Turks” and “The Breakdown” Facebook pages remain publicly available as of filing and, on information and belief, that the two “TYT Sports” posts have since been removed. The complaint also cites earlier copyright suits against the company, including C.D. Cal. Nos. 2:21-cv-05015, 2:22-cv-01190, 2:23-cv-04705, 2:24-cv-01439, 2:24-cv-01583, 2:24-cv-02279, 2:25-cv-02668, and 2:26-cv-02416, and D. Del. No. 22-345.

The claim and the prayer

The First Cause of Action, Direct Copyright Infringement under 17 U.S.C. §501 et seq., alleges that the company reproduced, distributed, adapted, and publicly displayed the video without authorization, in willful violation of Level 12's rights under 17 U.S.C. §106. It alleges that because the video was registered within three months of its first publication, Level 12 may elect statutory damages and recover attorney's fees under 17 U.S.C. §§ 412, 504(c), and 505. The prayer seeks a finding of infringement; actual damages and disgorgement of profits under 17 U.S.C. § 504(b) or, at Level 12's election, statutory damages under 17 U.S.C. § 504(c), whichever is larger; an injunction under 17 U.S.C. § 502(a) against infringing use of any of Level 12's works; costs and reasonable attorney's fees under 17 U.S.C. § 505; pre-judgment interest; and other relief the court deems just and proper.