NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Internationally renowned visual artist Maya Hayuk has sued singer Sara Bareilles, Sony Music and Epic Records for copyright infringement after Bareilles used images and a video of Hayuk's artwork to promote Bareilles album and tour.
The artwork in question was a mural that Hayuk was commissioned to create for the Bowery Mural Wall, an outdoor exhibition space in lower Manhattan. The piece was on display from February until earlier this summer. A remarkably similar piece of art appears in photographs and a music video used to promote Bareilles “Little Black Dress Tour” on various forms of social media.
Hayuk's lawsuit alleges that Bareilles profited through unapproved use of the artwork and is seeking $150,000 in money damages from the defendants. Hayuk has also filed a lawsuit against clothing manufacturer Coach, who allegedly used images of the mural in its own ad copy.
“Maya is an extremely prolific and hard-working artist,” Hayuk's lawyer Aaron Silverstein told The New York Post. “This is how she pays for rent and feeds herself, so when there’s a misappropriation of her work, it’s a big deal for her.”
