Photographer Tara Mapes sues Alibaba and AliExpress entities over her photographs in listings, ads, and emails

The complaint

Tara Mapes, d/b/a Tara Mapes Photography v. Alibaba Group Holding Limited; Alibaba Group (U.S.) Inc.; Alibaba.com US E-Commerce Corp.; Alibaba.com Singapore E-Commerce Private Limited; AliExpress E-Commerce One Pte. Ltd.; AliExpress International (United States) Corporation; and Does 1-10, No. 1:26-cv-07466 (S.D.N.Y.), is a 44-page complaint filed September 1, 2026, ECF No. 1, with a jury demand. Mapes is a professional photographer and visual artist. The complaint describes Alibaba Group Holding Limited as a Cayman Islands holding company and two of the defendants as Singapore entities, and describes the others, on information and belief, as U.S. entities. The docket shows the case assigned to Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.

The works

The complaint pleads at least 116 individual photographs, identified in Schedule A, within twelve group registrations of photographs, and says each photograph is registered as a separate work. Its summary chart lists twelve photo sets, among them Gingerbread Kids, VA0002459794, which the Copyright Office public catalog lists as a group registration of 17 published photographs with Tara Mapes as claimant.

What it alleges

The complaint alleges that the photographs were used to promote competing children's dresses, gowns, costumes, and related apparel, and that the claims concern the platforms' own conduct, not only seller listings: display and hosting on product pages, sponsored and retargeting ads, including, on information and belief, through third-party ad networks, recommendation placements, product feeds, and promotional emails. It alleges Mapes sent repeated notices identifying the photographs, listings, and ads, and that the same images kept appearing, including in some instances as stored images after listings appeared to have been removed. Many of the allegations about the defendants' systems and relationships are made on information and belief.

Counts and relief

Count I pleads direct copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 501, Count II contributory infringement, and Count III vicarious infringement. Count IV pleads removal or alteration of copyright management information under 17 U.S.C. § 1202. Counts V and VI plead false designation of origin or false association and false endorsement under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a), and Count VII pleads New York common-law unfair competition. Mapes seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions; orders requiring removal of the images and measures such as image matching to prevent their reappearance; actual damages and profits or, at her election, statutory damages for each photograph; relief under 17 U.S.C. § 1203 and the Lanham Act; preservation of records; and fees, costs, and interest.

On the docket

Executed waivers of service were filed for four defendants, Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Alibaba Group (U.S.) Inc., Alibaba.com US E-Commerce Corp., and AliExpress International (United States) Corporation, which appeared through counsel on October 2, 2026. On October 7, Judge Engelmayer granted their letter motion over Mapes's opposition and set December 1, 2026 as their deadline to answer or otherwise respond, adding that no further extensions would be granted absent compelling circumstances.