Adam Dale Broach claims in high school he was befriended by Williams’ business associates and over five years became close enough to the entourage to hang out in the tour bus, backstage and at Williams’ home.

The friendship began when the 18-year-old Broach, a shutterbug for his high school community newspaper, was allowed backstage to shoot some photos. Now he’s suing Hank Williams Jr. Enterprises, merch manager Larry Doolittle and screen printing company Screen Play.

Broach claims in 2006, a year after his initial invite backstage, Doolittle asked him to shoot two of Williams’ concerts for the artist’s fan newsletter. The friendship grew from there, with Broach claiming he snapped shots at 19 concerts, along with assisting the crew and taking photos of the meet & greets.

Broach claims he gave Hank Williams Jr. Enterprises rights to post pictures online but did not assign copyrights.

He says that, in 2009, Doolittle and Hank Williams Jr. Enterprises downloaded photos off of his social media pages and used them, without permission, on T-shirts, coozies and a mini-poster sold online and at concerts. Broach claims he addressed this with Doolittle, who promised he’d be “taken care of.” Instead, Broach claims in 2010 Doolittle told him there was no more use for him.

He also claims Screen Play has denied liability because Doolittle told the company that Broach signed off on the deal. He is suing in U.S. District Court in Georgia for damages, attorneys’ fees and Hank Jr. Enterprises to be enjoined from further use of the copyrighted material.