Kylie Jenner is totally biting artist Sara Pope’s style, according to a new lawsuit filed by the British artist.
In the suit filed in federal court in California on Tuesday, Pope says that her art piece “Temptation Neon” — which depicts a lip being bitten — has been jacked to promote Jenner’s upcoming E! reality show “Life of Kylie.”
“‘Temptation Neon’ is one of Ms. Pope’s most popular original works. It has been one of the top of Google searches for “neon lips” at least since 2016, and it embodies Ms. Pope’s distinct artistic style,” the lawsuit reads. “The finished artwork conveys glamour, intimacy, and sexual power — themes familiar to Defendant Kylie Jenner, who is building her brand around those themes.”
According to the suit, Pope’s “Temptation Neon” — which features “bright, glossy lips in a ‘lip bite’ pose in the bottom right (stage right) portion of the lip — was copied for promotional videos promoting “Life of Kylie,” one of which appeared on Jenner’s Twitter feed.
Defendants used Temptation Neon without permission in promotional social media posts and in a promotional video featured online and in advertisements across the United States. They are building their brand and goodwill at Ms. Pope’s expense,” the suit reads.
The suit makes note of the “alarming” record of copyright infringement claims leveled against Jenner, including last June’s claims that a T-shirt line infringed copyrighted images relating to musicians including Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and Black Sabbath — claims that caused the T-shirt to eventually be pulled from the marketplace.
The lawsuit also names NBC Universal and E! as defendants.
TheWrap has reached out to representatives of Jenner and NBC Universal for comment on the suit.
Alleging copyright infringement, the suit seeks unspecified damages. It is also asking for a ban on “Temptation Neon” being further infringed.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.