Target and Home Depot are facing legal action from a photographer and Biggie’s estate for hawking unauthorized copies of the rapper’s legendary photo.
Billboard reports that both retail giants allegedly made money off Barron Claiborne’s famous “The King of New York” shot without getting permission. Republic Merchandising Inc., a California company claiming to handle Biggie’s (born Christopher George Latore Wallace) merch rights, has joined forces with Claiborne and The Notorious B.I.G., LLC in the lawsuit.
The iconic pic was reportedly shot just before Biggie’s tragic death in LA on March 7, 1997. Fun fact: the $6 plastic crown Biggie rocked in those photos later sold for a whopping $595,000 at Sotheby’s in 2020, according to Claiborne’s legal docs.
“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 lawsuit states.
It also claims, “Defendants specifically chose to use Mr. Wallace’s persona, name, image, likeness, and related marks in an attempt to capitalize on their fame and extraordinary financial value.”
The team’s also going after iCanvas, an online art store, saying they’ve been using Biggie’s “persona, name, image, and likeness, and related marks” without permission since 2015. While they pulled some items after being contacted in 2023, word is there’s still stuff on their site that breaks trademark rules.
