Banksy just told fans to shoplift from Guess for the unauthorized use of his designs, but how did the retailer acquire them?
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CreativityTranscript
00:00Banksy encouraged fans to shoplift at a guest store that used his artwork without permission.
00:04But we need to talk about how the brand was even able to use the designs in the first
00:08place.
00:09The infamous street artist took to Instagram, claiming that the brand used his name and
00:12design in a new clothing collection without his consent.
00:15He then called on shoplifters to head to Guess's flagship store on London's Regent Street
00:19and have at it.
00:20Banksy's parent company has made it clear that the artist doesn't create merchandise.
00:24So how did the Guess collection come to be?
00:25It was a collaboration with Brandalyze, a company that licenses popular graffiti artwork
00:30to be manufactured into merchandise and other collectibles.
00:33The company has a history of making money off of Banksy's work.
00:36Last year, one of their subsidiaries beat Banksy in a European copyright court over
00:40the use of his graffiti illustrations.
00:43This was largely due to the artist's anonymity, which the EU panel said, quote, hinders him
00:47from being able to protect his art under copyright laws.
00:50As a result, Brandalyze and other unofficial retailers are free to utilize the artist's
00:54imagery without the need to share any of the profits generated by the items.