Banksy told his followers to shoplift from the Regent Street Guess store in London after it displayed a collection that used his artwork without permission.
Banksy isn’t happy with Guess’ latest collaboration.
The legendary anonymous graffiti artist had a directive for his followers on Friday, encouraging them—possibly tongue in cheek, possibly not—to visit the Regent Street Guess store in London and steal the brand’s new collection that features his artwork.
“Attention all shoplifters. Please go to Guess on Regents Street. They’ve helped themselves to my artwork without asking, how can it be wrong for you to do the same to their clothes?”
I don't know that this is strictly true, he has had works painted over before and notably had a rivalry with that Manchester King fella and they re did each others works regularly.
Did he paint the design on one of their buildings? Because if he did, and they took that design and put it on t-shirts, that would be a pretty bad-ass move imo
Pretty sure copying and selling it is still IP theft. If they removed the wall section and sold it that's legal, people have done that to get his work many times.
Except when that store is a big multinational that pays their employees the bare minimum for stuff that costs pennies to make but is sold for half their monthly income.
His celebrity status depends on hyperbolic rhetoric like this. If he had handled it the way normal people do, through courts, he'd be damaging his mystique. The sheep that think he's the bee's knees slurp this bullshit up.
I can't say legally since I'm not a lawyer but I don't think much of people who suggest you do (crime) because (crime) occurred. I consider it a low-end mentality to view that as a resolution or justice of some kind.
If he had handled it the way normal people do, through courts
There is more to it than that. He's been blocked from claiming the copyright on his own work since he'd need to dox himself. He can't claim the copyright as 'Banksy' since it's not his real name.
It's a he, it's well known who he is at this point. This counterculture edgy image is his entire marketing scheme. His popularity and image is all a carefully crafted gorilla marketing campaign. I wouldn't be surprised if he's getting a cut on the clothes and this is part of the marketing.
Yeah, I really don't get people simping for him, he's probably a millionare at this point. You don't get media coverage unless you pay for it, and his mediocre stencil shit is certainly not being boosted organically.