Tamara Wareka sues Beauty Creators over freckled beauty photograph shown next to a tattoo freckles service

The complaint

Tamara Wareka p/k/a Tamara Williams v. Beauty Creators LLC, No. 2:26-cv-10874 (C.D. Cal.), is a 9-page complaint filed September 23, 2026, ECF No. 1, with Exhibits A-C and a jury demand. The complaint describes Wareka as a professional photographer residing in Germany who specializes in beauty and fashion photography, and Beauty Creators as a California professional corporation based in Los Angeles. It also names Does 1-10. It pleads jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1338(a) and venue under 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b)-(d) and/or § 1400(a).

The work

The work is a close-up beauty photograph of a blue-eyed model with freckles wearing a deep red lip, which the complaint calls the Beauty Photograph. The complaint alleges that Wareka is its sole author and registered it under Registration No. VA 2-178-320, effective November 5, 2019. The Copyright Office public record for VA0002178320 lists Tamara Wareka as claimant of a group registration of photographs published between March 22, 2018, and October 1, 2018, with a registration date of November 5, 2019.

What the complaint alleges

The complaint describes Beauty Creators as a cosmetic tattoo and permanent makeup studio that offers services including tattooed eyeliner, tattooed freckles, and scar camouflage, and alleges that it controls the website yourbeautycreators.com. It alleges that on or about January 6, 2026, Wareka found the photograph on a page of that website listing services and prices, next to a tattoo freckles offering, and that she has no record of licensing it to Beauty Creators. It alleges that Beauty Creators copied the photograph and caused it to be uploaded and displayed, and that Wareka, through counsel, contacted the defendants before suing but the parties could not resolve the matter.

The count and relief

The single count alleges willful copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 501. Wareka seeks a finding of infringement; actual damages and profits under 17 U.S.C. § 504(b) or, at her election, statutory damages under § 504(c), including for willful infringement; costs and attorneys' fees under § 505; interest; and other relief. The count also states that she is entitled to injunctive relief under § 502.