H&M settles copyright lawsuit with street artist Revok
Street artist Revok (Jason Williams) sued H&M for using his graffiti in a Brooklyn ad campaign without permission. H&M countersued, arguing that illegally painted graffiti cannot be copyrighted. After backlash from the art community—including KAWS and Swizz Beatz—H&M dropped the lawsuit. The parties settled, with H&M funding arts organizations in Detroit: City Year, Living Arts Detroit, MOCAD, Teen Council, and the Empowerment Plan. Revok announced the resolution on Instagram, emphasizing support for public art and Detroit institutions.
Key facts
- Revok (Jason Williams) is a California-based street artist.
- H&M used Revok's graffiti as a backdrop in a Brooklyn ad campaign.
- H&M countersued Revok, claiming illegal graffiti has no copyright.
- KAWS and Swizz Beatz publicly criticized H&M.
- H&M withdrew its lawsuit and settled with Revok.
- H&M agreed to fund City Year, Living Arts Detroit, MOCAD, Teen Council, and Empowerment Plan.
- All funded organizations are based in Detroit.
- Revok stated Detroit is a special place where he spent many years.
Entities
Artists
- Revok
- Jason Williams
- Banksy
- KAWS
- Swizz Beatz
Institutions
- H&M
- Central House of Artists
- City Year
- Living Arts Detroit
- MOCAD
- Teen Council
- Empowerment Plan
- Detroit Free Press
- Artribune
Locations
- Brooklyn
- Los Angeles
- Moscow
- Russia
- Detroit
- United States
- California