Michelle Ong sues Real America's Voice and the Just the News operator over a Black Rock Desert video

The complaint

Ong v. America's Real Voice LLC, No. 1:26-cv-05362 (D. Colo.), was filed October 20, 2026. The complaint is Document 1, runs ten pages, and demands a jury. The docket shows the case assigned to Chief Judge Regina M. Rodriguez and referred to Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter. The complaint is signed by Craig Sanders of Sanders Law Group in Uniondale, New York. It pleads venue under 28 U.S.C. 1400(a).

The parties and the work

The complaint describes Michelle Ong as a California citizen based in Los Angeles County and a professional art director, graphic designer, and visual content creator, and describes the defendant as a Delaware limited liability company based in Centennial, Colorado that operates the Real America's Voice network. The work is a video of protestors blocking the road in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, which the complaint says was first published August 27, 2023 and registered November 14, 2023, Registration No. PA 2-446-141. Because registration came within three months of publication, the complaint alleges statutory damages and fees are available under 17 U.S.C. 412(2).

What it alleges

The complaint alleges that on or about September 1, 2023 the network broadcast a segment on Nevada tribal law enforcement's handling of climate protestors that showed the video in a split screen, with legends reading Source: Sky News and @STILLGRAY that do not identify Ong. It alleges the operator of the Just the News website represented in writing through counsel that the defendant selects the visuals for those segments, and alleges, on information and belief, that the defendant selected, copied, and broadcast the video. It alleges the segment remained on Rumble as archived by the Internet Archive on October 16, 2026, that Ong first saw it on November 16, 2023, and that notices sent January 7 and February 6, 2026 drew no response.

The single count alleges direct copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. 501 and alleges that the infringement was willful.

Relief sought

The complaint asks for actual damages and profits under 17 U.S.C. 504(b) or statutory damages under 504(c), an injunction under 17 U.S.C. 502(a), attorney's fees and costs under 17 U.S.C. 505, and interest.

The second suit: the Just the News operator

Ong v. Bentley Media Group LLC, No. 1:26-cv-03756 (D.D.C.), was filed October 27, 2026. The complaint is Document 1, runs 11 pages, demands a jury, and is signed by the same counsel. It describes Bentley Media Group as a Delaware limited liability company with its principal place of business in Washington, D.C. that owns and operates justthenews.com, a Rumble account named @justthenews, and a Facebook account named @justthenewsreports, and it pleads venue under 28 U.S.C. 1400(a) and 1391(b)(2). It asserts the same video and the same registration.

The complaint alleges that on or about September 1, 2023 Bentley displayed and publicly performed a segment of the program Just the News, No Noise that showed the video in a split-screen window beneath the caption Opinion: Nevada Shows How to Deal with Protestors, with the same Source: Sky News and @STILLGRAY legends, and it identifies three alleged infringements: the website story, a Rumble upload, and a Facebook post. It alleges counsel notified Bentley on February 8, 2024 with follow-ups through January 2026, that counsel for Bentley responded on January 10, 2026 that another entity was responsible for selecting and creating the visual content, and that Bentley is liable regardless of whether additional entities participated. It alleges the Rumble and Facebook posts remained publicly available as of October 16, 2026, as archived by the Internet Archive.

The single count alleges direct copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. 501 and alleges that the infringement was willful, and alleges, on information and belief, that Bentley authorized, ratified, and commercially exploited the uses. It asks for actual damages and profits under 17 U.S.C. 504(b) or statutory damages under 504(c), an injunction under 17 U.S.C. 502(a), costs and a reasonable attorney's fee under 17 U.S.C. 505, and pre-judgment interest.