Ekiben, the Baltimore-born Asian-fusion chain famous for its Neighborhood Bird steamed bun, is now facing a federal copyright lawsuit that says the restaurant used the 1996 movie Space Jam theme song in an Instagram promo without permission. The complaint targets a now-deleted April 24, 2024 carousel that allegedly featured a recognizable clip of the track and asks the court for damages, a permanent injunction, and attorneys’ fees.
What The Court Filing Says
The complaint, filed July 23, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for Maryland (Case No. 1:26-cv-02876), names Watson Music Group, doing business as Quadrasound Music, as the plaintiff. It alleges that Ekiben publicly performed and published the musical composition “Space Jam” in a promotional Instagram post and attaches screenshots of the post along with copyright registration certificates as exhibits, according to CourtListener. The filing lists Ekiben’s principal place of business on Eastern Avenue in Fells Point and identifies a co-founder as the company’s agent for service.
Watson’s Enforcement Record
Watson, which legal coverage reports acquired ownership of the composition, has not exactly been shy about policing the song online. In recent years it has pursued multiple infringement claims tied to social media posts, including a suit against a minor-league baseball team over a 2017 Facebook clip and litigation targeting Caesars over a social post, according to Law360.
Ekiben’s Local Profile
Ekiben started as a Fells Point farmers-market cart in 2014 and has since grown into a small local empire, with multiple brick-and-mortar locations around Baltimore and a fourth spot that opened in Frederick earlier this year, according to The Banner. Co-founders Steve Chu and Ephrem Abebe have turned the brand into a local staple, and Chu’s recognition as a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2023, noted by Forbes, has only raised the restaurant’s profile. All of that sets the stage for this legal fight to draw more attention than a typical Instagram copyright spat.
What The Lawsuit Asks The Court To Do
The complaint accuses Ekiben of willful copyright infringement and asks the court for either disgorgement of profits or statutory damages, along with costs, prejudgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and a permanent injunction blocking any further use of the work, according to CourtListener. Those are standard requests in online-use copyright cases, but the willfulness allegation could raise the stakes.
Ekiben did not return requests for comment, and local reporting notes that the restaurant did not yet have counsel listed in the public docket. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher and will move forward on the federal docket in the coming weeks, according to The Daily Record.
