Artist sues Starbucks, says chain created 'substantially similar' works for Frappuccino ads
A New York artist known for her kaleidoscopic, brightly colored murals says she turned down an offer by an advertising agency representing Starbucks Corp. to use her copyrighted art in an international marketing campaign.
But Starbucks went ahead and had an in-house artist create “substantially similar” works using the same colors and copycat designs, alleges Maya Hayuk in her Manhattan federal court lawsuit. One version even is featured on a plastic Frappuccino cup.
“When things like this happen, it cheapens the value of the art—it’s really true,” her lawyer, Aaron Silverstein, told the New York Post. “And her only source of income is her art.”
Also named as a defendant is ad agency 72andSunny. Because she signed a nondisclosure agreement during negotiations with Starbucks, Hayuk says, there are facts supporting her suit that she cannot include in the filed complaint, Courthouse News reports.
A spokeswoman for Starbucks told the Post the company is investigation the allegations of Hayuk’s complaint.
The articles don’t include any comment from the ad agency.
