Kendrick Lamar and SZA are being sued for their 'All of the Stars' music video, which was created for the Black Panther album, according to TMZ.
Lamar and SZA are being sued by artist Lina Iris Viktor for supposedly using components of her works entitled “Constellations I,” “Constellations II” and “Constellations III” in their music video. According to the New York Times, Marvel representatives originally approached Viktor in Nov. 2016 in efforts of including her work in the Black Panther film. After rejecting this offer, Viktor was surprised to see pieces similar to her own show up in the “All of the Stars” music video.
We knew this looked like Lina Iris Viktor’s work when All The Stars dropped. That she was allegedly approached twice for the use of her art, declined, yet it still appeared in the video is new. pic.twitter.com/Mg12ZVgMux— Asanda Sizani (@AsandaSizani) February 12, 2018
“It’s an ethical issue, because what the whole film purports is that it’s about black empowerment, African excellence — that’s the whole concept of the story. And at the same time they’re stealing from African artists,” Viktor told Okay Player.
According to Comic Book, Viktor is seeking both a license fee and public apology for what she believes to not only be a mimicry of the feel of her work, but also a copy of the “styled motifs of mythical animals, gilded geometric forms on a black background, and distinctively textured areas and patterns.” Viktor goes on to cite the use of her work as a copyright violation.
In response to the situation, Viktor wrote:
“Thank you to everyone for the overwhelming support and messages over the past week. I apologize for not being able to respond to each person, but know that I have read and truly appreciate your powerful words of encouragement. Feel reassured – I am seeking justice.”
Thank you to everyone for the overwhelming support and messages over the past week. I apologize for not being able to…Posted by Lina Viktor on Monday, February 19, 2018