A very interesting piece on Melrose and Fairfax about two LA products, Cat Cult and Odd Future. Originally written in LA Weekly, Cat Cult sent a cease and-desist letter to the popular group Odd Future for using their art.
Pictured above the lead artist, Tyler the Creator, wore this t-shirt in a music video which many people thought naturally was the Cat Cult symbol~ a big deal in the Los Angeles area. But Cat Cult doesn’t sell t-shirts and thus sent the cease-and-desist letter. The letter was promptly ignored.
What do you guys thing? Beyond that, does the nature of street art change the idea of image rights / intellectual property?
I think this would be fine as long as Odd Future followed a few basic conditions. Tylor would have to either have made the t-shirt himself or have a friend make it, the group would acknowledged Cat Cult, and they must have had no plans to sell it for merchandising. Without acknowledgement of Cat Cult, I am not sure if any of those are being followed. Link below and if you don’t know Odd Future a music video to boot.
MELROSEandFAIRFAX: Did Odd Future Rip Off Cat Cult?
Ives Street 