The estate of rock 'n roll photographer Jim Marshall has sued fashion designer John Varvatos for using photos of celebrity musicians without permission in store displays.
Well-known for his rock-n-roll-inspired designs, Varvatos has featured many musicians in his designs and displays through the years, including Green Day, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper and Velvet Revolver. The images in question — which include Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, BB King, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and several other rock stars — are currently displayed in his own stores, as well as in Bloomingdale's across California.
The lawsuit will be around whether Varvatos, a personal friend who purchased proofs of the images from Jim Marshall before he died in 2010, has the right to make reproductions of the images. The estate is claiming that Varvatos had permission from Marshall to display the images in one specific store, but not elsewhere.
Varvatos is also has the prints listed for sale on his website. The estate has filed an injunction for the website and the store prints. No court date has yet been set.