*The estate of Christopher ‘Notorious B.I.G.’ Wallace has filed a lawsuit against major retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Nordstrom, and Home Depot, for selling unauthorized canvas prints of the late rapper’s 1997 “King of New York” photograph, shot by Barron Claiborne.
Filed on Feb. 4 in New York federal court, the suit claims that iCanvas illegally reproduced and distributed the photo, according to Billboard. The plaintiffs—The Notorious B.I.G. LLC, Republic Merchandising, and photographer Barron Claiborne—allege the image has been unlawfully used on merchandise since 2015.
The lawsuit states, “Defendants used Mr. Wallace’s persona, name, image, and likeness, as well as several trademarks relating to him, and Mr. Claiborne’s K.O.N.Y. series photographs, for many years, across numerous items, and in multiple ways, without authorization.”
The estate says the retailers showed a “complete disregard for celebrities’ personality rights, lack of respect for artists’ efforts, and disdain for intellectual property law.”
“Mr. Wallace’s fan base has continued to expand since his passing,” continued the estate’s lawyers. “Mr. Wallace’s persona, name, image, likeness, and artistic works are so well known that they are almost universally and instantly recognizable, even by those born after he died.”
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The “King of New York” session was Biggie’s last photo shoot before his death at age 24 in 1997.
One of Claiborne’s most iconic achievements was photographing The Notorious B.I.G. just three days before his murder in March 1997. Seeking to portray BIG as a “King of New York,” Claiborne bought a plastic crown at a local novelty store to convey his bold, defiant vision. pic.twitter.com/BTcYfkDkjy
— BLACK RENAISSANCE (@theblkren) September 1, 2023
The lawsuit claims that iCanvas sold unauthorized canvas prints of the image for over eight years, with major retailers profiting from the merchandise without permission.
Back in 2020, the plastic crown worn by Biggie Smalls in the photo sold for nearly half a million dollars as part of Sotheby’s first-ever auction dedicated to hip-hop items.
The crown, which was signed by both Biggie and Claiborne, sold for $594,750.
“Probably the top lot is the crown,” Sotheby’s told Reuters at the time. “I think that crown is one of the most recognizable symbols of hip hop, 20th century culture. Everybody around the world recognizes this crown. You see it on T-shirts. You see it on coffee cups and prayer candles. It’s huge.”
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