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Artist Sues Spike Lee Over Oldboy Poster Designs
posted on by Egan Loo
Graphic designer Juan Luis Garcia has filed a lawsuit against director Spike Lee in the U.S. federal court for the Central District of California on Tuesday. Garcia alleges that Lee's Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks production company used, without permission, several posters that Garcia created for Lee's Oldboy film.
Garcia posted an open letter on the issue last November. He asserted that he was hired by an advertising firm to create the posters over a two-month period, but chose to decline the use of his work when he felt the pay was below the standard. Garcia claims that he uploaded the posters to his online portfolio, and later found that they were being used on the film's Facebook page.
Garcia is claiming copyright infringement and alleged alteration of copyright management information, since the movie's posters list the copyright notices “© 2013 Spike Lee” and “© 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks."
Lee responded to Garcia's original open letter in November, saying on Twitter, "I Never Heard Of This Guy Juan Luis Garcia,If He Has A Beef It's Not With Me.I Did Not Hire Him,Do Not Know Him.Cheap Trick Writing To Me.YO." In response to a commenter on his Instagram account, Lee added, "Why Should I Pay Someone Who I Never Met Nor Had Any Contact With Ever? He Never Made Any Deal With Me.Why Don't You Pay Me For Your Stupid Text On Thanksgiving Day?"
According to Garcia, he also designed movie posters for The Great Gatsby, 12 Years A Slave, Lincoln, 42, and Jobs.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
