The Velvet Underground to Sue Andy Warhol for Bananas
The Velvet Underground have filed legal papers against the Andy Warhol Foundation in Manhattan, claiming that the foundation has been illegally licensing their iconic banana and it’s their banana, their banana, damn it!
The Andy Warhol cover art was never officially copyrighted to the Velvet Underground, but it “became a symbol, truly an icon, of the Velvet Underground” for a quarter of a century, so when it’s being sold by the foundation to garland iPads and such, it seems as if the Velvet Underground and Nico (in spirit) are endorsing said schwag.
“The symbol has become so identified with the Velvet Underground that members of the public, particularly those who listen to rock music, immediately recognize the banana design as the symbol of the Velvet Underground” so the foundation is trying to “deceive the public” with faux Velvet “sponsorship or approval,” the court papers say.
So there you have it, ladies, gents, old-timers who remember when this was actually a band and young’uns who think oh snap this banana looks good on my tote bag teeheehee:
The Velvet Underground is bigger than Warhol. It’s not his art work. It’s their cover art. They don’t need you anymore, ANDY!
Editor-in-Chief:
Will the same thing happen with The Stones' zipper?
HA
Total bullshit. If I saw that banana I'd think Warhol, not some shitty band. Get over yourselves.
Agreed. f**k them. Warhol is an icon and will be remembered forever… TVU was just a band whose time has already passed.
And I don't understand about that Velvet's first album I mean I did the cover I was the producer and I always see it repackaged and I've never gotten a penny from it How could that be?
If it’s ok to make a shit load of money by selling the image of a fucking banana, why can’t someone make some money off the people making money off the banana. It’s a fucking banana.