Case 1:16-cv-08896-PGG Document 1 Filed 11/16/16 Page 1 of 27

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
ERIC MCNATT,
Plaintiff,
v.
COMPLAINT

RICHARD PRINCE, BLUM & POE, LLC,

BLUM & POE NEW YORK, LLC and
OCULA LIMITED,

JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

Defendants.

Plaintiff Eric McNatt (Mr. McNatt or Plaintiff), by and through his

undersigned counsel, for his Complaint (Complaint) against defendants Richard Prince (Mr.
Prince), Blum & Poe, LLC and Blum & Poe New York, LLC (each entity individually or both
entities collectively, Blum & Poe), and Ocula Limited (Ocula) (collectively, Defendants)
hereby alleges as follows:
Nature of Action
1.

This is an action for injunctive, monetary and declaratory relief arising

from Defendants infringement of Mr. McNatts exclusive rights in the photographic work
entitled Kim Gordon 1 (the Copyrighted Photograph, a copy of which is attached hereto as
Exhibit A).
2.

Mr. McNatt is a practiced and acclaimed commercial, editorial and fine art

photographer who is the author and copyright owner of the Copyrighted Photograph, which is a
black and white portrait capturing the musician Kim Gordon in her home in Northampton,
Massachusetts.
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3.

Defendant Prince, an appropriation artist notorious for incorporating the

works of others into artworks for which he claims sole authorship, willfully and knowingly and
without seeking or receiving permission from Mr. McNatt, copied and reproduced the
Copyrighted Photograph as it appeared on an Internet website. Mr. Prince uploaded a digital
copy of the Copyrighted Photograph to the social media website Instagram (Instagram) using
his own Instagram account, accompanied by three captions (the Infringing Post). Mr. Prince
printed a physical copy of the Infringing Post retaining the existing Instagram elements
surrounding the Copyrighted Photograph (the Infringing Portrait, a copy of which is attached
hereto as Exhibit B), and displayed the Infringing Portrait at a gallery owned and operated by
Blum & Poe in or around April and May of 2015 as part of an exhibition entitled New Portraits
(the Exhibition). Mr. Prince has displayed and continues to display a copy of the Infringing
Portrait on his Internet website, richardprince.com.
4.

Defendant Blum & Poe, a contemporary art gallery showcasing sculptures,

paintings and photographs, solicited artworks (including the Infringing Portrait) from Mr. Prince;
curated, funded, promoted and/or profited from the Exhibition; and/or compensated Mr. Prince
from income produced by sales of artworks (including the Infringing Portrait) displayed at the
Exhibition. Blum & Poe has displayed and continues to display a copy of the Infringing Portrait
on its Internet website, blumandpoe.com.
5.

Defendant Ocula, a global contemporary art marketplace that displays

works of art for sale by galleries and connects potential buyers to such galleries, published a
copy of the Infringing Portrait on its Internet website, ocula.com. Through collaboration with
Defendant Blum & Poe, Ocula promotes and displays the Infringing Portrait on its website and

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facilitates its sale, including by offering a service through which visitors to its website can
request pricing and availability of the Infringing Portrait from Blum & Poe.
6.

Defendant Prince and/or Defendant Blum & Poe created and distributed

(or caused to be created and distributed) physical copies of an art book prominently featuring the
Infringing Portrait (the Infringing Book, the cover of which and pages displaying the
Infringing Portrait within are attached hereto as Exhibit C) without seeking or receiving
permission from, giving attribution to, or compensating Mr. McNatt.
Jurisdiction and Venue
7.

This is a civil action seeking injunctive, monetary and declaratory relief

for violations of the copyright laws of the United States, 17 U.S.C. 101 et seq.
8.

This Court has subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1331

9.

Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391(b) and 28

and 1338(a).

U.S.C. 1400(a).
10.

This Court has personal jurisdiction over each of the Defendants because

Defendants reside in and/or are doing business in New York and have committed acts of
copyright infringement within New York.
11.

An actual case or controversy has arisen between Plaintiff and Defendants

because Defendants have injured Plaintiff by using the Copyrighted Photograph without
Plaintiffs permission.

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Parties
12.

Plaintiff Eric McNatt is a commercial, editorial and fine art photographer,

specializing in portraiture. Mr. McNatt is a domiciliary of the State of New York, residing in
New York City. Mr. McNatt has been commissioned to take photographs for editorial and
advertising purposes and has licensed photographs to numerous publications. Mr. McNatts
photography has appeared in over 100 different magazines worldwide including Entertainment
Weekly, ESPN-The Magazine, Esquire, Fortune, Glamour, GQ, New York Magazine, The New
York Times Magazine, Paper, People, Spin, Time, Vogue and Wired, and in advertising
campaigns for corporate clients in the music, television and other industries. Mr. McNatts work
has been selected for inclusion in fine art publications, gallery exhibitions and esteemed benefit
auctions, including Galerie Lelong, Randall Scott Gallery, Stricola Contemporary and Aperture,
a longstanding not-for-profit foundation devoted to the publication of fine art photography. At
least one of Mr. McNatts photographs is included in the collection of prominent art collector
Joseph Baio. Mr. McNatt has been nominated and/or selected for numerous awards, including
an American Photography award (2016) and a New York Photo Festival Book Award (2009).
13.

Defendant Richard Prince is a notorious appropriation artist who has

made tens of millions of dollars over the course of his career by reproducing, modifying or
preparing derivative works from the works of others, typically without permission, and selling
the reproduced, modified or derivative works as his own. Mr. Prince is a resident of the State of
New York, residing in Rensselaerville, New York. Mr. Prince has previously appeared before
this Court to defend against claims of copyright infringement.
14.

Defendant Blum & Poe, LLC is a limited liability company organized and

existing under the laws of the State of California and having its principal place of business in the
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County and City of Los Angeles. Defendant Blum & Poe New York, LLC is a limited liability
company organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York and having its
principal place of business in the County and City of New York. Blum & Poe owns and operates
an art gallery in New York City located at 19 East 66th Street, New York, NY 10065 (the New
York Gallery) and an art gallery in Tokyo, Japan, located at 1-14-34 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo
150-0001 (the Tokyo Gallery).
15.

Defendant Ocula is a limited company registered in New Zealand and

having its principal place of business in Auckland, New Zealand. Ocula works with, buys from
and/or sells to galleries, artists and consumers of contemporary art located in New York.
Factual Background
A.

The Copyrighted Photograph

16.

On July 25, 2014, Mr. McNatt photographed Kim Gordon, a musician,

songwriter and visual artist best known for her role as the bassist, guitarist and vocalist of
seminal alternative rock band Sonic Youth (Ms. Gordon), in conjunction with an interview for
publication in Paper, a fashion and pop culture magazine. During this session, at Ms. Gordons
home in Northampton, Massachusetts, Mr. McNatt captured the Copyrighted Photograph among
other photographs of Ms. Gordon. The Copyrighted Photograph was captured in color using a
Canon EOS 6D 20.2 MP SLR digital camera and subsequently converted to black and white.
17.

For the photography session, Mr. McNatt purchased and/or provided his

own equipment, including rolls of seamless grey nine-foot background paper which appears
behind Ms. Gordon in the Copyrighted Photograph, a portable seamless hanging system and
Autopoles for light and background set-up. Mr. McNatt spent a total of approximately three
hours shooting Ms. Gordon, approximately six hours traveling to and from Ms. Gordons home
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and another approximately twelve hours in post-production (including directing the editing,
retouching, processing and conversion work performed by his agent), culminating in the
publication version of the Copyrighted Photograph.
18.

The Copyrighted Photograph was first published on or about September 9,

2014 in Papers thirtieth anniversary edition, online and in print, and on an Instagram account
controlled by Paper. On or about February 24, 2015, the Copyrighted Photograph was
republished to Papers Instagram account. In each case, Paper published the Copyrighted
Photograph under license from Mr. McNatt and with a credit acknowledging Mr. McNatts
authorship.
19.

On September 12, 2014, Mr. McNatt registered the Copyrighted

Photograph with the United States Copyright Office (Registration No. VAu 1-191-324, a copy of
which is attached hereto as Exhibit D). The Copyrighted Photograph is highly original and
unique.
20.

In February 2015, Mr. McNatt licensed the Copyrighted Photograph to the

website VOGUE.com for a one-time use. The Copyrighted Photograph appeared on

VOGUE.com on or about February 20, 2015 with a credit acknowledging Mr. McNatts
authorship.
21.

Mr. McNatt has published digital copies of the Copyrighted Photograph

for the purpose of soliciting business opportunities to (i) his Internet website, ericmcnatt.com, (ii)
his Instagram account, @ericmcnatt, and (iii) his account on the social media website Tumblr,
in each case in close proximity to the notice Eric McNatt or other notice of authorship
and/or ownership.

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B.

The Infringing Post and the Infringing Portrait

22.

On or about September 10, 2014, Richard Prince created and displayed the

Infringing Post on his Instagram account, @richardprince4. The Infringing Post consisted of
an exact reproduction of the Copyrighted Photograph, the only modification being minor
cropping of the bottom and top portions, leaving almost the entirety of the Copyrighted
Photograph fully intact (including Ms. Gordons face, arms and torso). The Infringing Post
includes three captions (the Appended Text) written by Mr. Prince appearing beneath the
Copyrighted Photograph:
a.

Portrait of Kim Gordon

b.

Kool Thang You Make My Heart Sang You Make Everythang Groovy

c.

Six pictographs (or emojis) depicting musical notation and instruments,

selected from a stock set of emojis available for use by Instagram users.

23.

The caption Kool Thang You Make My Heart Sang You Make

Everythang Groovy is a transliteration of lyrics to the 1960s hit song Wild Thing, written by
Chip Taylor, except that the word Kool replaces the word Wild. Kool Thing is the title of
Sonic Youths first major label record single.
24.

Instagram is a social media platform, owned by Facebook, Inc., described

on its Internet website as a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of
pictures. Instagram serves as a digital repository for photographs and messages, and a cottage
industry has emerged catering to Instagram users who wish to own physical copies of digital
photographs, comments and conversations. Instagrams Terms of Use, made available on its
website, provide that users shall comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to use of
the Instagram service, including but not limited to, copyright laws.
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25.

The Infringing Portrait is an inkjet print on canvas of the Infringing Post.

The Infringing Portrait includes an exact reproduction of the Copyrighted Photograph:

a.

cropped such that minor portions of the top and bottom of the Copyrighted

Photograph are omitted, leaving virtually the entirety of the Copyrighted Photograph
fully intact (including Ms. Gordons face, arms and torso);
b.

framed by elements of the Instagram graphic user interface, including (i)

above the Copyrighted Photograph: one line of text including a thumbnail image
and username of Mr. Princes Instagram account (richardprince4) and, adjacent to
that username, the number of minutes passed since Mr. Princes post and (ii) below
the Copyrighted Photograph: the Appended Text; and
c.

sized such that the total dimensions of the Infringing Portrait (consisting

of the Copyrighted Photograph plus the framing Instagram elements) are

approximately 4 ft. in. by 5 ft. 5 in.
26.

To create the Infringing Portrait, Mr. Prince: (i) accessed and copied the

Copyrighted Photograph from Papers website or Instagram account, (ii) published his copy of
the Copyrighted Photograph to his own Instagram account, (iii) added the Appended Text to the
Copyrighted Photograph via the Instagram comment function, thereby creating the Infringing
Post, (iv) took a screen save of the Infringing Post as it appeared on his mobile phone, thereby
saving a digital copy of the image captured by the screen save in the memory of the mobile
phone, (v) sent the saved image to a computer and (vi) printed (or caused to be printed) the saved
image as an inkjet on canvas, thereby creating a physical copy of the Infringing Post.
27.

All Instagram elements contained in the Infringing Portrait other than the

Appended Text appeared mechanically as a function of the Instagram service when Mr. Prince
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uploaded the Copyrighted Photograph to Instagram and added the Appended Text. Mr. Princes
sole modification prior to making a screen save was to add the Appended Text.
28.

On or about September 10, 2014, Mr. Prince posted to his Instagram

account a photograph of the Infringing Portrait with the caption: Portrait of Kim Gordon, ink jet
on Canvas, 2014. Using her Instagram account, @kimletgordon, Ms. Gordon posted a
comment to Mr. Princes post: Awe! (a copy of Mr. Princes post depicting the Infringing
Portrait and a screen save that shows comments posted thereto are attached hereto as Exhibit E).
C.

Discovery of Infringing Conduct

29.

Mr. McNatt was made aware of Mr. Princes infringement in September

2014 by a friend who recognized the reproduction of the Copyrighted Photograph in Mr. Princes
post of the Infringing Portrait, having previously seen the Copyrighted Photograph on Papers
Instagram account crediting Mr. McNatt as author (as described in Paragraph 18 above).
30.

Multiple Instagram account holders posted comments to Mr. Princes post

of the Infringing Portrait asserting that the Infringing Portrait incorporated a copy of Mr.
McNatts work, including comments from accounts controlled by Mr. McNatt (Photo by
@ericmcnatt) and the publishers of Paper (@ericmcnatt, this photo is our favorite!).
31.

Mr. Prince posted at least one comment on Instagram responsive to the

comments described in Paragraph 30 above that is no longer accessible to the public.

32.

Subsequent to posting the Infringing Post and a photograph of the

Infringing Portrait to Instagram, Mr. Prince deleted his @richardprince4 account. Mr. Prince
has operated Instagram accounts other than the @richardprince4 account prior to, during
and/or since operating the @richardprince4 account.

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D.

Exhibition and Promotion of the Infringing Portrait

33.

The Exhibition, originally held at the Tokyo Gallery from around April 3

May 30, 2015, featured a series of sixteen inkjet prints on canvas, size 4 ft. in. by 5 ft. 5 in.,
of what Mr. Prince has referred to as screen saves of Instagram users posts (including his
own). The prints were produced by or on behalf of Mr. Prince and for sale by or through Blum
& Poe.
34.

Concurrent with or subsequent to the Exhibition, Ocula published a copy

of the Infringing Portrait on its website, ocula.com, and provided a service through which
visitors of the website could request pricing and availability of the Infringing Portrait from Blum
& Poe.
35.

One or more of the Defendants created (or caused to be created) and

endorsed promotional materials and advertisements of Mr. Princes works (including the
Exhibition), including photographs depicting the Infringing Portrait displayed on Internet
websites owned and operated by the Defendants.
E.

Conveyance of a Copy of the Infringing Portrait

36.

On or about February 10, 2016, Mr. Prince posted to the social media

website Twitter (Twitter) the following message: Kim Gordons cover painting for Loud
Song available at 303 Gallery, Printed Matter Book Fair LA accompanied by a photograph of
Ms. Gordon holding a copy of a music album. On or about February 11, 2016, 303 Gallery
posted to Twitter: VIsit @303_In_Print Project Rm L @PRINTED_MATTER #LAABF this
week, presenting @RichardPrince4 new vinyl Loud Song! These posts referenced the
collaboration between Mr. Prince and Ms. Gordon on a vinyl music album entitled Loud Song,

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for which Mr. Prince recorded the music and Ms. Gordon created the cover art, which was
exhibited and/or offered for sale by 303 Gallery in Los Angeles in or around February 2016.
37.

On or about February 16, 2016, Ms. Gordon posted to Instagram a

photograph showing her holding a copy of the Infringing Portrait signed by Mr. Prince (a copy of
Ms. Gordons post is attached hereto as Exhibit F). Ms. Gordon posted a comment to her post,
directed to Mr. Prince: So thrilled thank you@richardprince4.
F.

The Infringing Book

38.

Concurrent with or subsequent to the Exhibition, Mr. Prince and/or Blum

& Poe created and published (or had created and published) a collection of Mr. Princes works
displayed in the Exhibition, entitled Richard Prince: New Portraits (the Infringing Book). A
copy of the Infringing Portrait covers an entire page of the Infringing Book and is prominently
featured on two other pages of the Infringing Book. Blum & Poe has sold and continues to sell
the Infringing Book at the New York Gallery and on its website for $200. Blum & Poe printed a
first edition of 1,000 copies of the Infringing Book. A colophon within the Infringing Book
includes the copyright notices, 2016 Blum & Poe and Richard Prince and All artworks and
images the artist.
39.

On or about April 7, 2016, Mr. Prince republished (or re-tweeted) a

message originally posted by another Twitter user, @halfgallery, such that it appeared on Mr.
Princes account: New Portraits #RichardPrince 2016 published by @BlumandPoe (signed on
the cover) accompanied by an image depicting the cover of the Infringing Book.
40.

On or about April 14, 2016, Mr. Prince re-tweeted a message originally

posted by Twitter user @harpersbooks, an account belonging to Harpers Books, Inc., a

bookshop and art gallery located in East Hampton, New York: Last week, this week. Only the
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carpet changed. New Portraits #richardprince. I assure you no other copies at AIPAD
accompanied by images depicting (i) one page of the Infringing Book, solely featuring the
Infringing Portrait, and (ii) the cover of the Infringing Book (such re-tweeted post attached
hereto as Exhibit G).
41.

From around September 1518, 2016, the Infringing Book was displayed

and offered for sale at the New York Art Book Fair (NYABF), located at MoMA PS1, an art
gallery located at 22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101.
42.

From around September 1619, 2016, the Infringing Book was displayed

and offered for sale at the Tokyo Art Book Fair (TABF), located at the Gaien Campus shared
by the Kyoto University of Art and Design and its sister school, the Tohoku University of Art
and Design, located at 1-7-15 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
43.

On or about September 21, 2016, Blum & Poe published to Twitter the

following advertisement: NEW PORTRAITS is now available for order online, after its
premiere at NYABF + TABF #RichardPrince @richardprince4 store.blumandpoe.com
accompanied by an animation depicting several pages of the Infringing Book being flipped
through, including a page solely featuring the Infringing Portrait (a copy of the post is attached
hereto as Exhibit H). On or about September 21, 2016, Mr. Prince re-tweeted Blum & Poes
post. On or about September 22, 2016, Mr. Prince posted a comment to the Blum & Poe Twitter
post: @BlumandPoe Cool book. Where do I get one?
G.

Defendant Princes Contempt for Copyright Law

44.

None of Mr. Prince, Blum & Poe or Ocula ever solicited or obtained

permission from Mr. McNatt to reproduce, modify, distribute or display the Copyrighted
Photograph or prepare any derivative work therefrom.
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45.

Mr. Prince has achieved notoriety in the appropriation art industry for

his blatant disregard of copyright law. Mr. Prince consistently and repeatedly has incorporated
others works into works for which he claims sole authorship without obtaining permission from,
or providing compensation, recognition or attribution to, the original works author or copyright
owner.
46.

Regarding the legal implications of his practice, Mr. Prince commented in

2011: Copyright has never interested me. For most of my life I owned half a stereo so there
was no point in suing me, but thats changed now and its interesting. So, sometimes its
better not to be successful and well known and you can get away with much more. I knew what
I was stealing 30 years ago but it didnt matter because no one cared, no one was paying any
attention.
47.

In 2011, Mr. Prince republished and sold a 500 run first edition of J.D.

Salingers The Catcher in the Rye, identical to Mr. Salingers work except that (i) Mr. Salingers
name was replaced with Mr. Princes as the author of the work and (ii) Mr. Princes version
included a colophon with the statement, This is an artwork by Richard Prince. Any similarity to
a book is coincidental and not intended by the artist and included the notice Richard Prince.
48.

In an interview conducted by Ms. Gordon and published in Interview

Magazine on or about June 21, 2012, Ms. Gordon asked Mr. Prince about his publication of The
Catcher in the Rye. Mr. Prince replied that he was aware of the implications of his actions,
boasting that The Catcher in the Rye is the Disneyland of book publishing and that [y]ou
dont mess with images from Disney. He went on to explain that his purpose for republishing
Mr. Salingers novel was simply to double the price... just to make sure, if you were going to

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buy my Catcher in the Rye, you were going to have to pay twice as much as the one Barnes and
Noble was selling from J.D. Salinger.
49.

Mr. Prince was previously a defendant in a suit by a photographer alleging

direct and indirect copyright infringement primarily related to an exhibition of Mr. Princes
works entitled Canal Zone (the Canal Exhibition) (Cariou v. Prince, 784 F. Supp. 2d 337,
342 (S.D.N.Y. 2011), judgment revd in part, vacated in part, 714 F.3d 694 (2d Cir. 2013)).
50.

Mr. Prince created thirty works incorporating the Cariou plaintiffs

photographs (the Prince Canal Works), twenty-nine of which were displayed in the Canal
Exhibition. The amount and substantiality of the Cariou plaintiffs photographs incorporated
into the Prince Canal Works varied and such photographs were to differing degrees overlaid or
interspersed with non-copyrighted elements.
51.

This Court found infringement as a matter of law for all thirty Prince

Canal Works; the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed as to twenty-five of the
Prince Canal Works (finding such works to be permissible fair use) and remanded to this Court
the adjudication of the five remaining Prince Canal Works. Prior to such adjudication, Mr.
Prince reached a settlement with the Cariou plaintiff out of court, the terms of which have not
been publicly disclosed. One of the Prince Canal Works held to be fair use and the Cariou
plaintiffs photographs incorporated therein were reproduced in the Second Circuits opinion,
and are attached hereto as Exhibit I. All five remanded Prince Canal Works, and the Cariou
plaintiffs photographs incorporated therein, are attached hereto as Exhibit J.
52.

During the interview described in Paragraph 48 above, Ms. Gordon and

Mr. Prince discussed Cariou v. Prince and the notion that the court had become an extension of
Mr. Princes artistic expression. In an interview with Russh Magazine, Mr. Prince acknowledged
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the positive impact the controversy had on the Prince Canal Works: Its funny because if this
guy had let it alone, well it was a very unsuccessful body of work and it would have gone away.
53.

On or about April 21, 2016, Mr. Prince re-tweeted a post originally posted

to Twitter by user @Plantwerk: @RichardPrince4 on being cool,cracking-up.shitstirring,asshole judges.Flip-flop narcissism/democracy of Instagram accompanied by a
hyperlink to an article published on the website vulture.com stating that: Prince has always been
blunt about stealing the outlaw idea is the core of who he is as an artist. And hes endured
reputation-confirming copyright-infringement lawsuits over the years; like a good punk, he did it
by eye-rolling his way through depositions And even today, as the secure winner [of Cariou
v. Prince], Prince seems really unhappy to have had to play by the rules of the court or really
any rules. A friend of Mr. Princes in the art community is quoted in the article as saying: The
consequences of trouble almost dont matter. The trouble is what is exciting. The trickery is the
really fun part. For Richard the lawsuits are also the artwork. They were a joke. Hes devoted
to that idea. Mr. Prince is quoted in the article as saying: Im not going to change, Im not
going to ask for permission, Im not going to do it. I dont know how to do it that way. I dont
respond that way.
54.

On or about May 4, 2016, Mr. Prince re-tweeted a post originally

published to Twitter by fashion video network Made to Measure (@m2m): When art becomes
art, what is fair use and what is misuse? @RichardPrince4, accompanied by photographs of
Other New Portraits Works (as defined below) and a hyperlink to a video-recorded interview
with Mr. Prince in which Mr. Prince declares: The reason why I won the [Cariou] case was that
they realized finally they were dealing with a fucking crazy artist whos essentially going to do
exactly what he wants to do regardless of their laws.
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55.

Mr. Prince has been sued for copyright infringement on at least two

occasions subsequent to Cariou v. Prince and prior to the commencement of this litigation with
respect to works (Other New Portraits Works) in which he employed the same or similar
methods described in Paragraph 26 above1, except that these and many Other New Portraits
Works were created from Mr. Princes screen saves of Instagram accounts other than his own
account. Each Other New Portraits Work consists of a photograph not taken by Mr. Prince that
is framed by elements of the Instagram graphic user interface and appended text written by Mr.
Prince that he has generally referred to alternatively as non sequitur, gobblygook, jokes,
oxymorons, psychic jiu jitsu (quotation marks in original) and inferior language that
sounds like it means something.
56.

On or about January 4, 2016, Mr. Prince posted to Twitter an image of an

Other New Portraits Work that was the subject of copyright litigation, accompanied by the
message: U want fame? Take mine. Only thing that counts is good art. All the everything else
is bullshit.
57.

On or about January 27, 2016, Mr. Prince posted to Twitter an image of an

Other New Portraits Work accompanied by the message: You cant sue me if its not for sale.
You can call me asshole lazy shit. But you cant sue me.

Graham v. Prince, No. 1:15-cv-10160-SHS (S.D.N.Y.); Salazar v. Prince, No. 2:16-cv-04282-

MWF-FFM (C.D. Cal.). During this period, Mr. Prince has also been sued with respect to at
least one work not included in the Other New Portraits Works (Dennis Morris, LLC v. Prince,
No: 2:16-cv-03924-RGK-PJW (C.D. Cal.)).

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58.

On or about July 5, 2016, Mr. Prince posted to Twitter: The 1 thing

lawyers&their clients who sue can't understand, is that it always starts off havin nothin to do with
art accompanied by a photograph of a car with a Canal Zone license plate.
59.

On or about August 26, 2016, Mr. Prince posted to Twitter: Stop suing

me. If you want your stupid fucking picture, Ill give it to you. Take it. Please.
60.

On or about August 28, 2016, Mr. Prince posted to Twitter a screen save

of another Instagram users account, @mona_offi, accompanied by the message: Dont

worry... I wont portrait you.
61.

On or about October 1, 2016, Mr. Prince posted to Twitter a photograph of

Melania Trump accompanied by the message: Yes. Im advising Melania how to plagiarize.
Shes a natural. Hillary? Im Mr Jones on that one, referencing Ms. Trumps allegedly
plagiarized speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention and likening himself to David S.
Jones, a poet who pseudonymously published nearly 60 poems in over thirty literary journals
from 1990-93 prior to being exposed as a serial plagiarist.
62.

On or about October 16, 2016, Mr. Prince posted to Twitter: Whos on

First? accompanied by an excerpt from a legal analysis of the Second Circuit decision TCA
Television Corp. v. McCollum, No. 16-134-cv, 2016 WL 5299174 (2d Cir. Oct. 11, 2016),
contrasting the TCA Television defendants use of an original comedy routine with Mr. Princes
use of the Cariou plaintiffs original photographs.
First Claim for Relief
(Copyright Infringement Against Richard Prince With Respect to the Infringing Post,
the Infringing Portrait and the Infringing Book)
(17 U.S.C. 106, 501)
63.

Mr. McNatt hereby incorporates Paragraphs 1 through 62 of this

Complaint as if fully set forth herein.

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64.

Defendant Prince infringed Mr. McNatts exclusive rights as the copyright

owner of the Copyrighted Photograph by reproducing, publicly displaying and causing the
Copyrighted Photograph to be distributed; by incorporating the Copyrighted Photograph into the
unauthorized preparation of the Infringing Post, the Infringing Portrait and the Infringing Book;
and by utilizing depictions of the Infringing Portrait and the Infringing Book in promotional and
advertising materials for Mr. Princes works and the Exhibition, and on Mr. Princes website, in
each case without the permission of Mr. McNatt.
65.

Defendant Princes infringements were willful. As a notorious

appropriation artist who has been a defendant in copyright infringement litigation and has
demonstrated particular awareness of copyright jurisprudence, Mr. Prince had knowledge that his
unauthorized use of the Copyrighted Photograph infringed Mr. McNatts exclusive rights under
the Copyright Act or, at least, recklessly and irresponsibly ignored the likelihood thereof. The
willfulness of Mr. Princes infringement is further demonstrated by (i) his having appended a
copyright notice to at least one previous work, (ii) his utilization of the Instagram service, in
accordance with which he agreed to comply with copyright law, (iii) his taking of the
Copyrighted Photograph from a website or Instagram account that expressly credited Mr.
McNatt as the author and/or copyright owner of the Copyrighted Photograph and (iv) his
continued use of the Copyrighted Photograph after receiving comments to his Instagram account
notifying him that Mr. McNatt was the owner of the Copyrighted Photograph. That Mr. Prince
engaged in infringing conduct subsequent to notice of copyright ownership confirms the
willfulness and knowledge with which Mr. Prince infringed Mr. McNatts copyright in the
Copyrighted Photograph.

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66.

Defendant Princes infringement has caused and continues to cause injury

to Plaintiff to a degree and extent as yet to be determined.

Second Claim for Relief
(Copyright Infringement Against Blum & Poe With Respect to the Infringing Portrait and
the Infringing Book)
(17 U.S.C. 106, 501)
67.

Mr. McNatt hereby incorporates Paragraphs 1 through 66 of this

Complaint as if fully set forth herein.

68.

Defendant Blum & Poe infringed Plaintiffs exclusive rights as the

copyright owner of the Copyrighted Photograph by publicly displaying, offering for sale and/or
selling the Infringing Portrait; by utilizing depictions of the Infringing Portrait in promotional
and advertising materials for Mr. Princes works and the Exhibition, and on websites that it
operates and owns; and by creating, distributing and selling (or materially assisting in the
creation, distribution and selling of) the Infringing Book; in each case without the permission of
Mr. McNatt.
69.

Defendant Blum & Poes infringement was willful. As a well-established

and sophisticated art gallery with locations around the world that has represented Mr. Prince, a
notorious appropriation artist whose blatant disregard for copyright law is well-documented
(and acknowledged on its website), Blum & Poe knew or should have known that its actions
infringed Mr. McNatts exclusive rights under the Copyright Act or, at least, recklessly and
irresponsibly ignored the likelihood thereof.
70.

Despite its knowledge and willfulness, Defendant Blum & Poe encouraged

and allowed Mr. Prince to publicly display, offer for sale and/or sell the Infringing Portrait and
the Infringing Book, materially contributing to the infringing activity by providing the space and
resources, as well as the promotional and advertising assistance, that made the Exhibition and the
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publication and sale of the Infringing Book possible. Accordingly, Blum & Poe is contributorily
liable for infringement of Mr. McNatts copyright in the Copyrighted Photograph.
71.

As a gallery and agent of Mr. Prince, Defendant Blum & Poe had the

ability to influence and control Mr. Princes infringing actions regarding his exhibition and sale
of artworks. By encouraging, allowing and providing the resources for Mr. Prince to publicly
display, offer for sale and/or sell the Infringing Portrait and the Infringing Book, Blum & Poe
benefitted financially from the publicity and notoriety it received resulting from the Exhibition,
as well as the resulting sales of the Infringing Portrait, the Infringing Book and/or the Other New
Portraits Works displayed and advertised alongside the Infringing Portrait. Accordingly, Blum
& Poe is vicariously liable for infringement of Mr. McNatts copyright in the Copyrighted
Photograph.
72.

Defendant Blum & Poes infringing actions have caused and continue to

cause injury to Plaintiff to a degree and extent as yet to be determined.

Third Claim for Relief
(Copyright Infringement Against Ocula With Respect to the Infringing Portrait)
(17 U.S.C. 106, 501)
73.

Mr. McNatt hereby incorporates Paragraphs 1 through 72 of this

Complaint as if fully set forth herein.

74.

Defendant Ocula infringed Plaintiffs exclusive rights as the copyright

owner of the Copyrighted Photograph by publicly displaying, offering for sale and/or selling the
Infringing Portrait on websites that it operates and owns, in each case without the permission of
Mr. McNatt.
75.

Defendant Oculas infringement was willful. As a well-established and

sophisticated contemporary art marketplace that has partnerships with over 165 galleries
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worldwide and provides comprehensive online access to artworks, exhibitions and artists, Ocula
has had longstanding knowledge of Mr. Princes practices as an appropriation artist. Ocula
exercises substantial scrutiny of the galleries accepted or invited to display works of art on its
website. Of the over 6,000 artists that Ocula has displayed on its website, Ocula has presented
Mr. Prince as one of between one- and two-hundred Featured Artists. Given its sophistication
as a contemporary art marketplace and familiarity with Mr. Princes practices, Ocula knew or
should have known that its actions infringed Mr. McNatts exclusive rights under the Copyright
Act or, at least, recklessly and irresponsibly ignored the likelihood thereof.
76.

Despite its knowledge and willfulness, Defendant Ocula encouraged and

allowed Mr. Prince and/or Blum & Poe to publicly display, offer for sale and/or sell the
Infringing Portrait, materially contributing to the infringing activity by providing the forum, as
well as the promotional and advertising assistance, that made sales of the Infringing Portrait
possible. Ocula provides support to defendant Blum & Poe and reaps financial benefit from the
promotion and potential sale of the Infringing Portrait. Accordingly, Ocula is contributorily
liable for infringement of Mr. McNatts copyright in the Copyrighted Photograph.
77.

As a contemporary art marketplace with editorial control over a significant

medium through which Mr. Princes work was exhibited and offered for sale, Defendant Ocula
had the ability to influence and control Mr. Princes infringing actions regarding his exhibition
and sale of artworks. By encouraging, allowing and providing the resources for Mr. Prince to
publicly display, offer for sale and/or sell the Infringing Portrait to its website visitors, Ocula
benefitted financially from the publicity and notoriety it received resulting from publicizing the
Infringing Portrait and the Other New Portraits Works displayed and advertised alongside the

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Infringing Portrait. Accordingly, Ocula is vicariously liable for infringement of Mr. McNatts
copyright in the Copyrighted Photograph.
78.

Defendant Oculas infringing actions have caused and continue to cause

injury to Plaintiff to a degree and extent as yet to be determined.

Fourth Claim for Relief
(Declaration that Mr. Princes Use of the Copyrighted Photograph in the Infringing
Post, the Infringing Portrait and the Infringing Book Does Not Qualify as a
Protected Fair Use)
(28 U.S.C. 2201-02; 17 U.S.C. 107)
79.

Mr. McNatt hereby incorporates Paragraphs 1 through 78 of this

Complaint as if fully set forth herein.

80.

None of the Infringing Post, the Infringing Portrait or the Infringing Book

qualifies as a criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research (the

enumerated illustrative statutory categories of fair use).
81.

The Infringing Post, the Infringing Portrait and the Infringing Book do not

alter the Copyrighted Photograph with new expression, meaning or message to an extent
sufficient to characterize any such work as transformative. The focus of each of the Copyrighted
Photograph, the Infringing Post and the Infringing Portrait is the singular image of a black and
white portrait of Ms. Gordon. The Infringing Post and the Infringing Portrait each are referred to
by Mr. Prince as a Portrait of Kim Gordon. Neither the Infringing Post nor the Infringing
Portrait manifest a different aesthetic as compared to the Copyrighted Photograph, and the
creative and communicative results of such works are essentially the same. Mr. Prince did not
himself impose any distortions or modifications to the Copyrighted Photograph as it appears in
each of the Infringing Post and the Infringing Portrait.

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82.

The only additions to the Copyrighted Photograph in the Infringing Post

and the Infringing Portrait are the framing Instagram elements surrounding the Copyrighted
Photograph, of which the sole contribution attributable to Mr. Prince is the Appended Text. A
reasonable observer would not conclude in a side-by-side comparison of the Copyrighted
Photograph and the Infringing Post/Infringing Portrait that the addition of an Instagram frame to
the Copyrighted Photograph has made a transformative use of the Copyrighted Photograph.
83.

The Infringing Post, the Infringing Portrait and the Infringing Book are

commercial works. The Infringing Post (and subsequent posts depicting the Infringing Portrait
and the Infringing Book) served a promotional and advertising purpose for the Exhibition and for
the sale of Mr. Princes works to his over 18,000 followers on social media. The Infringing
Portrait was exhibited privately and/or publicly to fine art market customers and is offered for
sale online. The Infringing Book is described by Blum & Poe as a best-seller and continues to be
sold and distributed in furtherance of the commercial purpose of the Exhibition. A copy of the
Infringing Portrait was sold or otherwise conveyed to Ms. Gordon, who has collaborated with
Mr. Prince on at least one artwork for exhibition and/or sale and has advertised Mr. Princes
works to her over 160,000 followers on social media. Any display of the Infringing Post, the
Infringing Portrait or the Infringing Book to the broader public was incidental to its commercial
purpose.
84.

The Copyrighted Photograph is a creative and expressive work.

85.

The amount and substantiality of the Copyrighted Photograph used in the

Infringing Post, the Infringing Portrait and the Infringing Book was not necessary or reasonable
to any transformative purpose. Mr. Prince incorporated an exact copy of the Copyrighted
Photograph into the Infringing Post, the Infringing Portrait and the Infringing Book. As such,
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Mr. Prince necessarily copied the heart of Mr. McNatts work. That Mr. Prince took virtually the
entirety of the Copyrighted Photograph emphasizes its value to Mr. Princes work. Mr. Princes
exact copying of the Copyrighted Photograph capitalized on the aesthetic value intrinsic to the
Copyrighted Photograph.
86.

The Infringing Post and the Infringing Portrait are targeted to the same

markets and for the same target audience to which Mr. McNatt has marketed the Copyrighted
Photograph. The Infringing Book is targeted to the same derivative markets and for the same
target audience to which Mr. McNatt has generally marketed uses of his photographs.
87.

The unauthorized presence of the Infringing Post, the Infringing Portrait

and the Infringing Book in the markets for visual works is likely to impair and usurps the
markets (including the derivative markets) for the Copyrighted Photograph. Mr. McNatt is
active in the market for commercial licensing of his photographs, and showcasing and selling
prints of his work to fine art galleries, private collections and individual collectors. The markets
for licensing the Copyrighted Photograph to authors of derivative works are markets that Mr.
McNatt is naturally capable of developing.
88.

Unrestricted and widespread conduct of the sort engaged in by Mr. Prince

in creating, displaying and, as applicable, selling the Infringing Post, the Infringing Portrait and
the Infringing Book would usurp actual or potential markets for Mr. McNatts portraiture work.
Mr. McNatt is active in the market for the licensing of commercial photography. He participates
within this market at his own direction and expense, on commission from publishers and other
commercial entities, and/or for the benefit of his portraiture subjects, which include wealthy
and/or famous subjects such as Oprah Winfrey, Michael Phelps, Liza Minnelli, Billie Joe
Armstrong and Courtney Love, among many others. Mr. McNatt has on multiple occasions
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provided copies of portraits to his famous subjects with the intention of fostering future business
opportunities, including rock musicians Meg and Jack White (who perform as the White Stripes)
and electronic musician Merrill Beth Nisker (who performs under the stage name Peaches).
Were Instagram users permitted to freely upload Mr. McNatts copyrighted portraits of
celebrities (or other subjects) to social media accounts and convey copies of those portraits to
those subjects or their fans without his permission, then an existing market on which Mr. McNatt
relies for leveraging his copyright would be usurped. Were behavior of the sort engaged in by
Mr. Prince to become unrestricted and widespread, Mr. McNatt would have no greater control
(and thus no market advantage) over the distribution of his copyrighted works than anyone with
an Instagram account and access to an inkjet printer.
Prayer for Relief
WHEREFORE, the Plaintiff prays that this Court enter judgment in his favor and
against Defendants:
1.

Finding that Defendants have infringed Mr. McNatts exclusive rights in

the Copyrighted Photograph, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 106;

2.

Granting Mr. McNatt declaratory relief declaring that Mr. Princes use of

the Copyrighted Photograph in each of the Infringing Post, the Infringing Portrait and the
Infringing Book is not a fair use protectable under 17 U.S.C. 107, pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
2201-02;
3.

Granting Mr. McNatt permanent injunctive relief enjoining each

Defendant from reproducing, modifying, preparing derivative works from, displaying or selling,
offering to sell, or otherwise distributing the Copyrighted Photograph, the Infringing Post, the
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Infringing Portrait, the Infringing Book or any other infringing articles, including any copies of
any of the foregoing existing in any form, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 502;
4.

Ordering the seizure and forfeiture to Mr. McNatt, or other disposition as

the Court deems appropriate, of the Infringing Portrait, and ordering the destruction, or other
disposition as the court deems appropriate, of the Infringing Post, the Infringing Book and any
other infringing articles, including all copies of any of the foregoing existing in any form in the
possession or under the control of any of the Defendants, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 503;
5.

Granting Mr. McNatt statutory damages in the maximum amount allowed

by law, or, alternatively at Mr. McNatts election, actual damages suffered by Mr. McNatt and
profits or other advantages derived by Defendants arising out of or related to copyright
infringement of the Copyrighted Photograph, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 504, in amounts to be
proven;
6.

Directing the Defendants to reimburse Mr. McNatts attorneys fees and

costs in this action, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 505; and

7.

Granting such other and further relief as the Court deems proper and just.

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November 16, 2016

CRAVATH, SWAINE & MOORE LLP,
by

s/ Christopher P. Davis
David R. Marriott
David J. Kappos
Christopher P. Davis
Worldwide Plaza
825 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10019
(212) 474-1000
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Attorneys for Plaintiff Eric McNatt

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