Louis Vuitton Tells San Francisco Hotel: ‘Cease and Desist’

Hipkitten · 18-05-2005

San Francisco, Calif. (PRWE

May 17, 2005 -- The Hotel des Arts is a small San Francisco hotel that showcases the original fine art work of emerging artists from around the world. The San Francisco hotel's “Painted Rooms” exhibitions have received international acclaim as one-by-one, the 51 rooms of the hotel are transformed into works of fine art.

To date, nearly 30 of the rooms in the San Francisco hotel have been transformed, painted floor to ceiling by some of the premier emerging and underground artists in the world. The artists have been given free reign to create magic, and the project has been widely lauded as an amazing showcase of new artistic talent and fine art within this small San Francisco hotel.

One of the “Painted Rooms” in the art hotel features a series of hand painted floor-to-ceiling murals by San Francisco pop artist Tim Gaskin. Gaskin, whose artwork frequently juxtaposes celebrity icons with the iconography of contemporary advertising, included images of pop sensation Madonna on the walls of his room, superimposed on patterns and logos from luxury product manufacturer Louis Vuitton. The resultant work of original fine art is at once an homage, a commentary, and a critique of consumer culture and celebrity, and has received a great deal of press coverage and attention. Most people liked it.

Full Article

TheSoCalledPrep · 18-05-2005

i like it.

Moda_junkie · 18-05-2005

That's classy and stylish. Could live with it.

ingenue · 18-05-2005

like it!!

Hipkitten · 18-05-2005

I wish I could find more pics...I saw them on the news this morning but can't find them on the web

Plastic'sWife · 18-05-2005

awesome!
Thanks for the article Hipkitten...

Diorling · 18-05-2005

The real issue is that MJ hadn't thought of this print yet.

tott · 18-05-2005

Brands have become a part of culture, and that's their aim too. Brands want us to recognize them instantly, to have a relationship with them/to them, sort of.

Considering this, I don't think it's fair to attack artists who use the imagery of labels. It's part of our culture, period. Of course people will react to and use those images since we relate to them.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

PrinceOfCats · 18-05-2005

Haven't their lawyers got something better to be doing?

brian · 18-05-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diorling

The real issue is that MJ hadn't thought of this print yet.

i'm sure that's exactly what louis vuitton is thinking.

they want that print on the bags by s/s '06.

brian · 18-05-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by tott

Considering this, I don't think it's fair to attack artists who use the imagery of labels. It's part of our culture, period. Of course people will react to and use those images since we relate to them.

agreed. it's pop art. whatever happened to freedom of expression?

it would be a totally different story if it was clothing, shoes or bags that were going to be sold to consumers.

brian · 18-05-2005

more from the article...

Quote:

The global multinational demanded that the San Francisco hotel "remove all infringing depictions of the LV trademark from your walls." The letter further requested the "name and address" of the person who created "each mural painted," and threatened legal action for "trademark infringement, false designation of origin, unfair competition, and trademark dilution."

Louis Vuitton's anticounterfeiting director of the Americas further threatened "preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, an award of treble damages for willful infringement, statutory damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees and costs." The letter also suggested that the San Francisco hotel "may be subject to criminal prosecution under the Trademark Counterfeiting Act of 1984; and that individual participants may themselves be personally liable for damages."

The Hotel des Arts refuses to be intimidated.

"Removing the LV trademark from the walls of the hotel would necessitate destroying an original piece of fine art, and that is not something we are even going to consider," said the Hotel des Arts' Richard Singer. "Works of artistic expression are clearly protected by the First Amendment, and we absolutely refuse to be censored by a multinational corporation and their teams of lawyers."

miserylovescompany · 18-05-2005

I'm not an LV fan...and I like it. I think LV is absolutely overreacting. He was being paid homage for christ sakes. I don't think much will come of this however. I think the lawsuit may just be a very good publicity stunt.

Emi

Spike413 · 18-05-2005

I like it, very cool in an ironic way.

pucci_mama · 18-05-2005

I like it, i would have a room in my house painted that way..

its so kitsch, i love it!

18-05-2005	14
Spike413 barcode Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: New York Gender: homme Posts: 14,924	I like it, very cool in an ironic way. __________________ You need to move fashion forward when there's a reason to move fashion forward - Tom Ford

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18-05-2005	1
Hipkitten Diamond Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: An inspired mind Gender: femme Posts: 4,297	Louis Vuitton Tells San Francisco Hotel: ‘Cease and Desist’ San Francisco, Calif. (PRWE May 17, 2005 -- The Hotel des Arts is a small San Francisco hotel that showcases the original fine art work of emerging artists from around the world. The San Francisco hotel's “Painted Rooms” exhibitions have received international acclaim as one-by-one, the 51 rooms of the hotel are transformed into works of fine art. To date, nearly 30 of the rooms in the San Francisco hotel have been transformed, painted floor to ceiling by some of the premier emerging and underground artists in the world. The artists have been given free reign to create magic, and the project has been widely lauded as an amazing showcase of new artistic talent and fine art within this small San Francisco hotel. One of the “Painted Rooms” in the art hotel features a series of hand painted floor-to-ceiling murals by San Francisco pop artist Tim Gaskin. Gaskin, whose artwork frequently juxtaposes celebrity icons with the iconography of contemporary advertising, included images of pop sensation Madonna on the walls of his room, superimposed on patterns and logos from luxury product manufacturer Louis Vuitton. The resultant work of original fine art is at once an homage, a commentary, and a critique of consumer culture and celebrity, and has received a great deal of press coverage and attention. Most people liked it. Full Article __________________ There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women. ~Madeleine Albright

18-05-2005	2
TheSoCalledPrep V.I.P. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Gender: femme Posts: 5,306	i like it.

18-05-2005	3
Moda_junkie front row Join Date: May 2005 Location: Europe - Cyprus Gender: homme Posts: 240	That's classy and stylish. Could live with it. __________________ Don't let them

18-05-2005	4
ingenue backstage pass Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Tasmania-Thailand Gender: femme Posts: 776	like it!! __________________ "Fashion doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, but more often than not, they cost BOTH arms and legs!"

18-05-2005	6
Plastic'sWife fashion elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: I would trade OC for Miami Gender: femme Posts: 2,571	awesome! Thanks for the article Hipkitten... __________________ Eat your salad no dessert

18-05-2005	7
Diorling V.I.P. Join Date: Feb 2005 Gender: homme Posts: 6,700	The real issue is that MJ hadn't thought of this print yet.

18-05-2005	8
tott slightly dizzy Join Date: Aug 2002 Gender: homme Posts: 4,260	Brands have become a part of culture, and that's their aim too. Brands want us to recognize them instantly, to have a relationship with them/to them, sort of. Considering this, I don't think it's fair to attack artists who use the imagery of labels. It's part of our culture, period. Of course people will react to and use those images since we relate to them. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

18-05-2005	9
PrinceOfCats Naturellement pulpeuse Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The 'other' bit of the south of France Gender: femme Posts: 10,169	Haven't their lawyers got something better to be doing? __________________ -Jamais fille chaste n'a lu de romans

18-05-2005	13
miserylovescompany front row Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 274	I'm not an LV fan...and I like it. I think LV is absolutely overreacting. He was being paid homage for christ sakes. I don't think much will come of this however. I think the lawsuit may just be a very good publicity stunt. Emi

18-05-2005	15
pucci_mama Frozen irony. Join Date: Feb 2005 Gender: femme Posts: 4,995	I like it, i would have a room in my house painted that way.. its so kitsch, i love it!