Last year, advertising agency 72andSunny asked Brooklyn-based artist and mural maker Maya Hayuk if she wanted to work on a marketing campaign for Starbucks Frappucinos. Hayuk declined. So imagine Hayuk’s surprise when she saw art that looked just like hers in Starbucks ads anyway. 72andSunny and Starbucks had gone ahead and created ads that imitated Hayuk’s signature sunbeams. So now she’s seeking damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work, of which she claims five.
“When things like this happen, it cheapens the value of the art — it’s really true. And her only source of income is her art,” her attorney told the New York Post.
Here are side side-by-side comparisons from the lawsuit of Hayuk’s work and the Starbucks bootlegs which were used by the company to promote its new product in print, online, and IRL, all around the world. It’s clearly a ripoff.
Read the full complaint below.
