Banksy loses trademark battle of artwork with British greeting card company

After losing a two-year-long legal battle, British artist Banksy has been stripped of the trademark over his most famous artwork. Replying to his claim, an EU Panel ruled against the artist stating that he could not be considered owner until his identity is revealed.

Titled ‘Rage, the Flower Thrower’, the artwork first appeared on a wall in Jerusalem in 2005. Painted on a white cultured wall, the mural shows a man throwing a colourful bunch of flowers. Back in the day, the painting created controversy as the man was shown dressed in a what is considered riot gear in the region.

However, the artwork was soon picked up by a UK based greeting card co Full Colour Black which used it on its greeting cards. This prompted Banksy to appeal for an EU trademark in 2014. However, the greeting card company said that Banksy wasn’t entitled to the trademark as he wasn’t using it for trade or branding.

To fulfill the trademark categories, the artist, in 2019, opened a brick and mortar gift store called the Gross Domestic Product. However, following a long battle, the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) panel ruled against Banksy calling the artefacts sold by his store as “impractical and offensive”. In addendum, the panel pointed out that Banksy had chosen to remain anonymous and paints graffiti on other people’s property without their permission rather than paint it on canvases or his own property,” Gaudian reported.

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Is Neil Buchanan Banksy?

Recently, there were speculations about Neil Buchanan being the elusive artist on social media. After several fan theories, rumours and speculations that children’s TV presenter and musician Neil Buchanan is Banksy, fans have now got clarity on the same. Neil Buchanan’s official website released a statement revealing that Neil is not Banksy and it is just rumoured.

Neil's representative released a statement on his website stating that they were inundated with inquiries from people seeking to verify the news factually. Denying the statement, they wrote that unfortunately, the website does not have the resources to respond individually to all these inquiries, however, they confirm that the rumour does not contain any facts. The statement also revealed that Neil spent the Lockdown with vulnerable members of his family and is preparing to launch his all-new art collection in 2021. 

Read: UN Urges For Urgent Rescue Of Refugees From Banksy Ship, Two Others In Mediterranean

Read: Banksy Funds Rescue Boat Operating In Mediterranean Sea To Help ‘anyone In Peril’