Street artist Julian Rivera is suing Walmart and Ellen Degeneres for copyright infringement, alleging that the clothing line produced by the retail giant and talk show host ripped off his design. The lawsuit describes the designs as
“a slavish copy”
Plus, his street cred was damaged. The complaint says,
“Nothing is more antithetical to a street artist’s credibility than association with mass-market consumerism—of which Walmart is the epitome. People who recognized his design in the EV1 Collection would have concluded that Rivera ‘sold out,’ diminishing the value of his work and reputation.”
Rivera has used his heart design in his own work, not only as a signature of sorts in his art, but as a logo on a range of products sold on his own website and through other retailers. His lawsuit claims that he first attempted to alert the retail giant and Degeneres to their allegedly infringing behavior in May. Walmart eventually responded earlier this month saying
“that it had not copied the Design, that its own graphic was quite different, and that [Rivera’s design] was only minimally creative.”
Rivera is seeking monetary damages and for Walmart
“to immediately recall and remove any and all infringing products.”
(Photos, Avalon, court docs, Gluck Law Firm; via Artsy)
