Bizarre lawsuit
Queer Eye: US designer sues Lego over leather jacket copy
Antoni Porowski is one of the main actors in the hit Netflix series Queer Eye. In an episode of the fourth season, he wore the designer leather jacket that is causing quite a stir.
© Christopher Smith / Netflix / Picture Alliance
The US artist James Concannon is angry. For the “Queer Eye” toy set, the Danish toy giant Lego is said to have copied the design of a leather jacket as a print for the minifigure of actor Antoni Porowski without being asked.
A black leather jacket is currently at the center of a bizarre legal battle. The American fashion designer James Concannon accuses the Danish toy manufacturer Lego of copying the design of the jacket designed for the popular Netflix series “Queer Eye” without its consent and selling it in one of its toy sets. As “The Guardians” reports, Concannon filed a lawsuit in a district court in the US state of Connecticut in December.
Corpus delicti is a leather jacket elaborately printed with lettering and symbols that Concannon claims to have designed in 2018 for “Queer Eye” actor Antoni Porowski. The 37-year-old Canadian later wore the garment in a Season 4 episode of the reality TV series about five gay style experts.
Intellectual property theft? “Shame on you Lego”
Under the title “Queer Eye – The Loft of the Fab 5” Lego released a toy set of almost 1000 clamping blocks in summer 2021. And he looked for the leather suit designed by Concannon as a template for the torso of Antoni Porowski’s minifigure. Instead of the “Thyme is on my side” print on the back, however, the Lego designers opted for the inscription “Rebuild the world”. The front of the Lego minifigure is decorated with a Lego head and a tiny peace sign on the collar. Concannon had placed the same thing on his leather jacket right there. The artist now describes the printed torso from Billund, Denmark, as a “blatant copy”. Via Instagram he angrily let Lego know what he thinks of it. At first he felt honored that Lego had reissued his art, he writes there. Then it gets exciting.
After a few phone calls, Lego is said to have promised him (and his six-year-old son) some free sets to build and play with. On the day of publication, the disappointment: “We can’t send you a set, but you can buy one,” Lego is said to have told him. The set is on the shelves in the USA for 99.99 US dollars (equivalent to 87.89 euros). He’s loved Lego so far, Concannon continued. He then accuses the toy manufacturer of “stealing intellectual property.” Lawyers who are familiar with this area and would like to represent him should get in touch with him, he still puts it off. With the words “Shame on you @lego” (Shame on you, Lego) Concannon ends his post.
“Queer Eye” actor with Concannon parts in front of the camera since 2017
Everything else must now be judged by the judges at the district court in Connecticut. According to “The Guardian”, the lawyers of the two parties are said to have already exchanged views. Accordingly, the Lego lawyers argued that Concannon gave up the rights and license to the design of his jacket the moment he gave Antoni Porowski the designer piece for the Netflix series “Queer Eye”. Streaming provider Netflix is said to have equipped the “Queer Eye” actors with Concannon’s designer pieces since 2017 – with the express permission of the artist.
In the German online shop of Lego, the set from the Creator series is currently available for just under 100 euros.
Source:“The Guardians”
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