Whether you watched the Super Bowl halftime show live or were chained to the stove frying homemade mozzarella sticks for your friends, you probably know about “Left Shark” by now — the costumed figure to the audience’s left of pop star Katy Perry who didn’t quite seem to know the right dance moves, and subsequently charmed his awkward way into our hearts. But trying to capitalize on that phenom’s fame likely won’t end well, as one 3D designer found out this week.
A designer who prints politically themed and pop culture sculptures says he heard from Perry’s lawyers this week after he put a Left Shark figure up for sale on his site Shapeways.com shortly after the Super Bowl, reports CNN.
“Our client [Perry] recently has learned that you have been involved in the manufacture, sale, marketing and distribution of merchandise featuring a shark sculpture which embodies and uses the [Super Bowl halftime show], and that you have displayed this product on your website, in connection with such sale and distribution,” the letter posted on Instagram reads.
“As you are undoubtedly aware, our client never consented to your use of its copyrighted work and IP, nor did our client consent to the sale of the infringing product. Your unauthorized display and sale of this product infringes our client’s exclusive rights in numerous ways, including but not limited to, infringement of our client’s exclusive rights to reproduce, display and distribute its copyrighted images under the United States Copyright Act as set forth in 17 U.S.C. §106.”
The letter — confirmed as authentic by a representative from the law firm — demanded that he cease and desist selling the products and hand over any products he had in his possession.
Though he said he’d probably go back to “doing pieces about them and other world leaders,” saying “all this lawyer crap is very stressful,” the designer has posted a GoFundMe link on his Instagram page to raise money for his legal fund.
“If I get pro bono legal council or permission to print these and your donation is greater than 29.99 I will send you a 3d printed shark figurine,” he wrote on Instagram.
Katy Perry sics lawyers on Left Shark vendor [CNN]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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