cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/1977881
Excerpt:
Banksy isn’t happy with Guess’ latest collaboration.
The legendary anonymous graffiti artist had a directive for his followers on Friday, encouraging them—possibly tongue in cheek, possibly not—to visit the Regent Street Guess store in London and steal the brand’s new collection that features his artwork.
“Attention all shoplifters. Please go to Guess on Regents Street. They’ve helped themselves to my artwork without asking, how can it be wrong for you to do the same to their clothes?”
Does he have an agent or somebody who can be contacted? Not justifying the shop from doing this but how would somebody seek his permission?
Who Banksy? because he has clearly given his permission in the form of a press release
So Banksy has gven his moral ascent to anyone stealing from that shop although obviously Banksy doesn’t have the legal right to do that and you will still get in trouble if the police catch you but the police in the UK don’t investigate shoplifting less than £200. Although they recently have been told to crack down on all shoplifting so that might change.
But the shop doesn’t have the legal right to have banksy’s stuff either… is it really stealing if the owner of the art says ‘take it, it’s free’?
Well maybe in an equal system here, but guess has more money so they’re our royalty apparently