It’s hard to call the Kendrick Lamar-led Black Panther soundtrack anything but a success, although it hasn’t been entirely without controversy. Last week, Lamar was accused of using British-Liberian artist and painter Lina Iris Viktor’s artwork in the video for his SZA collaboration “All The Stars.”
Viktor’s lawyer previously sent a letter to Top Dawg Entertainment CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith that calls the copyright infringement “willful and egregious” and says that the video “incorporates not just the immediately-identifiable and unique look of her work, but also many of the specific copyrightable elements in the ‘Constellations’ series of paintings, including stylized motifs of mythical animals, gilded geometric forms on a black background, and distinctively textured areas and patterns, arrayed in a grid-like arrangement of forms.”
Now, TMZ reports that Viktor has decided to sue for damages and is also seeking an injunction that will stop Lamar and SZA from using her artwork for promotional purposes. Viktor’s lawyer also told Pitchfork, “We tried to resolve this without litigation. Now that we are in Court, we are confident that Ms. Viktor will prevail.” In a recent Facebook post, Viktor briefly addressed the situation, writing, “Feel reassured – I am seeking justice.”
Watch the “All The Stars” video above, in which Viktor’s design can be seen at around the 2:59 mark.
