Landscape photographer Elliot McGucken sues PIPELINE Advisors, which does business as Kinute, alleging on information and belief that it displayed three of his photographs on kinute.com

What was filed

The complaint is Document 1 in McGucken v. PIPELINE Advisors LLC, No. 2:26-cv-12212, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, filed and dated October 19, 2026 (13 pages). The plaintiff is Elliot McGucken, an individual residing in Los Angeles County, whom the complaint describes as a landscape photographer whose work has appeared in Smithsonian Magazine, National Parks Magazine, and other fine arts publications, and who has authored numerous books and won over 100 photographic awards. The defendants are PIPELINE Advisors LLC, doing business as Kinute, which the complaint alleges, on information and belief, is a Texas limited liability company with its principal place of business in Austin, Texas, and Does 1 to 10. Counsel for McGucken are Scott Alan Burroughs, Trevor W. Barrett, and Andres Navarro of Doniger/Burroughs, Venice, California. Jurisdiction is pleaded under 28 U.S.C. 1331 and 1338(a) and (b), and venue under 28 U.S.C. 1391(c) and 1400(a). McGucken demands a jury trial. (Compl. paras. 1 to 6, 8; pp. 1, 13.)

The photographs

The complaint reproduces three landscape photographs, which it calls the Subject Photographs, and alleges that McGucken created them and is their sole owner. It alleges that he registered them with the Copyright Office effective before the action was filed. It says that before the acts complained of he widely published the photographs, credited to him, on his website, emcgucken.com, and through his online profiles, social media accounts, press coverage, and physical exhibitions, and that he routinely published them with copyright management information identifying him as author and owner. A report on the filing of a copyright action is on the docket but is not publicly available. (Compl. paras. 9 to 13; Dkt. 4.)

The alleged use

The complaint alleges, on information and belief, that the defendants willfully copied, reproduced, publicly displayed, and distributed the photographs for commercial benefit without authorization, including by reproducing and displaying them on kinute.com. It includes screen captures from two kinute.com story pages, at addresses ending in northern-lights and artist-retrospective. The complaint says these examples do not cover every infringing use and that McGucken never authorized the defendants to use the photographs. It alleges that his attorneys sent Kinute a demand to cease and desist on May 16, 2025, and that the defendants failed to meaningfully respond. (Compl. paras. 14 to 16; pp. 6 to 8.)

Claims and relief

The first claim alleges copyright infringement against all defendants. It alleges, on information and belief, that the defendants accessed the photographs through McGucken's website, social media, press coverage, books, and other public sources, and that access is further shown by exact reproduction; that they copied, displayed, and distributed the photographs online for commercial benefit; and that they created infringing derivative works. The second claim alleges vicarious and contributory infringement, asserting, on information and belief, that the defendants knowingly induced, participated in, and profited from the infringement, had the right and ability to supervise it, and had a direct financial interest in it. Each claim alleges, on information and belief, that the infringement was willful, intentional, and malicious, and invokes enhanced statutory damages under 17 U.S.C. 504(c)(2). (Compl. paras. 17 to 29.)

The prayer for relief asks that the defendants and those acting in concert with them be enjoined from infringing McGucken's copyright in the photographs, including by an order requiring them to remove the photographs from their websites and marketing and advertising materials and to cease distributing prints bearing unauthorized copies. It also seeks all of the defendants' profits, plus all of McGucken's losses, plus any other monetary advantage gained through the infringement, in a sum to be proven at trial, and/or, to the extent available, statutory damages under 17 U.S.C. 504, 17 U.S.C. 1203, and other applicable law; a constructive trust over revenues or proceeds from the infringement; attorneys' fees under 17 U.S.C. 505 and 1203; costs and fees; statutory damages and/or penalties under those statutes; pre-judgment interest; the costs of the action; and further legal and equitable relief. (Compl. pp. 11 to 12.)

The public docket, as last updated on October 21, 2026, shows the complaint, a civil cover sheet, a notice of interested parties, the report on the filing of a copyright action, and a request for the clerk to issue a summons, all filed October 19, 2026. Watch for issuance and service of the summons and for the defendants' response to the complaint. (Dkts. 1 to 5.)