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Mega-artist Jeff Koons, notorious for his slickly commercial, multi-million dollar artistic works as well as his high-profile collaborations with luxury brands, has been hit with a lawsuit filed by a set and prop designer.
As Artnet News reported, the designer, Michael Hayden, is alleging that Koons violated his copyright via repurposing an original sculpture made in 1988 that depicts a giant snake coiled around a rock—designed so Cicciolina, Koons’ former wife, porn star, and the artist’s co-actor in Koons’ “Made in Heaven” series, “could perform sexually explicit scenes, both live and on camera.” court papers state.
A judge just struck down Koons’ request to dismiss the case, though agreed—should Koons lose—that any damages would be limited to the three-year period prior to the lawsuit.