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

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San Francisco, Calif. (PRWEB) 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.

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I wish I could find more pics...I saw them on the news this morning but can't find them on the web :cry:
 
The real issue is that MJ hadn't thought of this print yet.
 
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.
 
Diorling said:
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.
 
tott said:
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.
 
more from the article...

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."

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

its so kitsch, i love it!
 
If you check out the artist's web site, he seems to use designer logos a lot. I think it's great - Louis Vuitton should be happy that he's making their logo cool again :P
 
hotel des arts is sooo cool (i was at the opening), the lv-spoof goes along with their mission.
 
I just think it's ugly. I hate it. And I'm not just saying that because I dislike the LV logo. I don't think it's cute or fun at all. :yuk:
 
I like it.as in the way he puts it together. I wish I could see more pictures so that I can see the room in its entirety.

Why is LV being such a coporate prick?
It wasn't like the LV logos were portrayed in a bad light anyway.
Sheesh.
 

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