The complaint

Michael Stewart v. Mayvenn, Inc., No. 4:26-cv-13331 (N.D. Cal.), is a 10-page complaint filed November 6, 2026, with a jury demand. Stewart is a New York entertainment and celebrity photographer. Mayvenn is a Delaware corporation based in Emeryville, California that, according to the complaint, sells hair bundles, wigs, and extensions to consumers through its website and publishes a blog there called The Mayvenn Hair Journal.

The photograph

The complaint says Stewart photographed a celebrity in New York City during New York Fashion Week in September 2017, first published the photograph September 8, 2017, and that it was registered November 6, 2017 under Registration No. VA 2-076-141. The Copyright Office record for VA 2-076-141, a group registration of 675 published photographs published September 2 to October 20, 2017, with a registration date of November 6, 2017, names Michael Stewart as author and claimant.

What it alleges

The complaint alleges that on or about December 28, 2017 Mayvenn displayed a cropped copy of the photograph in a blog article on its store website, credited as "Photo: Instagram" without crediting Stewart, on a page carrying banners and links to its products. It alleges, on information and belief, that the company uploaded a further copy to its Shopify content delivery network on or about October 9, 2023. It says Stewart first observed the use on December 12, 2023, that his counsel sent letters on February 20, 2024, April 11, 2024, November 24, 2025, and December 24, 2025, that the company did not respond, and that the photograph remains displayed. It alleges that on or about October 23, 2026, after receiving all four letters, the company updated the page on which the photograph appears and continued to display it.

The claim and relief

The single count pleads direct copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. 501. Stewart asks for actual damages and profits under 17 U.S.C. 504(b) or statutory damages under 17 U.S.C. 504(c), costs and fees under 17 U.S.C. 505, an injunction under 17 U.S.C. 502(a), and pre-judgment interest.