Videographer FortyCal Files Federal Copyright Lawsuit Against Pigeons & Planes Owner
Cincinnati videographer Calan Beasley, professionally known as FortyCal, has filed a federal copyright infringement lawsuit against Commerce Media Holdings, LLC, the parent company of digital music outlet Pigeons & Planes. The legal action alleges that the company published concert footage featuring Waka Flocka Flame, EsDeeKid, and Fakemink without licensing the material or compensating the creator.
Calan Beasley, an independent videographer and photographer who operates professionally under the business name Forty Cal Productions, has initiated a federal copyright lawsuit against Commerce Media Holdings, LLC, according to reporting by AllHipHop. Commerce Media Holdings serves as the owner and operator of the music discovery publication Pigeons & Planes.
The complaint, lodged in a California federal court on October 27, centers on four separate live performance video recordings captured by Beasley. According to court filings reported by AllHipHop, the Cincinnati-based creative claims the digital media company distributed his concert footage across its online channels without securing authorization or paying required licensing fees.
The disputed media documents live stage appearances by veteran Atlanta hip-hop artist Waka Flocka Flame alongside performers EsDeeKid and Fakemink. Although the recording artists appear prominently in the video clips, Beasley’s legal filing lists Commerce Media Holdings as the sole defendant in the action.
According to the complaint reviewed by AllHipHop, two of the contested video assets capture Waka Flocka Flame during the 2025 Gathering of the Juggalos festival in Thornville, Ohio. One video captured the rapper engaging with Beasley and audience members, while the second recording documented the artist moving inside a live concert mosh pit.
A third recording cited in the filing documented performer EsDeeKid delivering a live rendition of the track “Rottweiler” at the Avondale Music Hall in Chicago on February 3, 2026. The fourth piece of footage captured the artist Fakemink performing “LV Sandals” during a debut live appearance in New York City, originally published by Beasley on September 8, 2025.
Beasley stated in the court complaint that his primary business model depends on licensing original visual media directly to news organizations and commercial entities. Through court documents detailed by AllHipHop, the videographer argued that uncredited, unpaid distribution undermined his commercial opportunities, stating that “Defendant’s use of the Videos harmed the actual market for the Videos.”
Beyond direct copyright infringement claims, Beasley accused the digital publisher of deriving advertising revenue, web traffic, and promotional exposure from his footage. The filing also raised vicarious infringement claims, contending that the media parent company maintained supervisory control over the individuals responsible for publishing the videos and profited from their use.
Beasley is seeking actual financial damages reflecting his commercial losses as well as profits accumulated by Commerce Media Holdings, along with an injunction barring the outlet from further unauthorized use of his work. As noted by AllHipHop, Beasley requested alternative statutory damages specifically for the EsDeeKid performance clip, without establishing a designated dollar figure, and formally demanded a federal jury trial to resolve the matter.