The Notorious B.I.G. estate, Republic Merchandising, and photographer Barron Claiborne have filed a lawsuit against multiple retailers and canvas-art company iCanvas for alleged copyright infringement of the iconic "King of New York" photograph.

The lawsuit targets iCanvas, its associated companies, and major retailers including Target, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond's parent company, and Nordstrom. According to the complaint, iCanvas began infringing on Biggie's name, image, likeness (NIL), trademarks, and the photograph in 2015 through what plaintiffs call "a multi-year unlawful campaign."

The photograph in question was taken by Barron Claiborne just three days before Biggie's death in 1997, featuring the rapper wearing a plastic crown. The image became culturally significant, with the actual crown later selling at auction for nearly $600,000.

The lawsuit alleges that iCanvas printed and sold 108 different SKUs featuring artwork based on the "King of New York" photo without proper authorization. When contacted about the infringement in 2023, iCanvas claimed they received the artwork from two individuals who are not named in the lawsuit.

Key points of the lawsuit:

• iCanvas allegedly failed to properly vet artwork for intellectual property rights
• Most retailers removed infringing items after being notified, except Bed Bath & Beyond initially
• The plaintiffs seek damages for multiple violations including:
  • Copyright infringement
  • Trademark infringement
  • Publicity law violations
  • Unfair competition
  • False advertising

The plaintiffs aim to add more defendants as the case progresses. iCanvas has not provided a detailed accounting of the artists who submitted the infringing works, despite removing some of the identified products.

The case continues in Illinois federal court under case number 1:25-cv-01184, with the plaintiffs seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief.

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