Core77

Banksy rip-off

By mike@burnlab - October 16, 2006

in Object Culture

In the midst of Tiger Fever here in Detroit, one local designer has seemingly lost sight of a little thing called intellectual property.

Jack Savas of Ann Arbor based Agui Vintage Clothing has apparently been blatantly ripping off Banksy and selling boatloads of t-shirts to baseball fans. If stealing an iconic image from a high-profile contemporary artist wasn't enough, the context of the image has been distorted in all the wrong ways, plus the hapless local press praises the "edgy, artsy look."

When Savas was questioned by another reader via e-mail about the image, the reply was, "We did not steal anything we got Banksy's permission from his blog to re-draw his original street art. He is happy to have his artwork in the marketplace."

Savas was then asked, "Even if that is the case, you don't give him credit. How is that fair?"

There were no further replies.

If someone can direct me to Banksy's mysterious blog, I'd love to read that part.

[big kudos to Datawhat for being so eagle-eyed]

o

Favorite This
Q
9

Comment

Comments

Banker

13 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

This guy isn't doing what's right but you do realize he's doing exactly what banksy does He takes peoples work and modifies it and sells it like crazy. He is mighty rich and while i respect him and digg his work, you cant blame this guy for doing the same.
!Report as spam
chris johnson

18 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

CP. . . if you are a real person, there is no chance that you are cool. Study graffiti and it might help your anxiety. Most importantly. . . respect what you have read and never, ever, hate on core 77's people again.
!Report as spam
cp

18 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Superb, another blog becoming the shrill gatekeeper of the typically misunderstood tenents of copyright law. Doesn't core have better things to report on than some ripped-off tshirt designs?
!Report as spam
kohlrabi

18 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

How is this any different than the appropriation art movement in the eighties? Oh yeah, this one makes money and doesn't have the heady pretense...

Anyway, I can't take the outrage seriously when your average art history book praises the likes of Duchamp.
!Report as spam
Joe hova

18 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

The only authentic representation of banksy is the site his managers set up for him. Nowhere does he say others may sell his artwork.------------------------------------------------------------www.banksy.co.uk
!Report as spam
this must stop

18 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

send your complaints directly to the ripoff artist:

jack@aguilook.com
!Report as spam
Alan Eagle

18 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Banksy's mysterious blog might be www.banksy.co.uk or his forums thing here ---> http://banksyforum.proboards82.com/
!Report as spam
csven

18 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Maybe this is just part of the free culture movement and maybe Banksy is, in fact, open sourcing his work and taking an anti-copyright stand. Given some of what I've read about him, it might also be a safe bet that he's anti-DRM too.
!Report as spam
Jackson

18 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

As someone who works for a small clothing label that works with independant artists (and PAYS them) seeing this kind of blatant theft is revolting. Horrible, horrible repurposing of an idea that totally destroys the original meaning.
!Report as spam