John Strand was quoted by Boston.com in an article titled “A Lego copyright fight over a jacket worn on ‘Queer Eye’ is headed toward trial.” This article discusses the ruling by US District Judge Omar A. Williams allowing artist James Concannon’s copyright claims against Lego over a “Queer Eye” jacket design to proceed to trial, dismissing only his trade dress claim.
John explains that he doesn’t see the ruling as a watershed moment for industry practice, but says it underscores the importance of carefully checking copyrights, releases, and licenses before using someone else’s work, noting that while clothing itself isn’t copyrightable, artwork displayed on it can be, likening the garment to the canvas the artist used. Read more.