Another day, another clothing store finds itself in the hot set. On the chopping block today: retailer giant H&M. The Swedish fast-fashion company is accused of copyright infringement. Pop singer Justin Bieber took to his Instagram Stories to blast the chain store for using his likeness in their latest musician merch collection.
via: The Cut
On Monday, Bieber called out H&M on his Instagram, accusing the brand of selling unapproved merchandise using his likeness and lyrics to his song, “Ghost.”
“I didn’t approve any of the merch collection that they put up at H&M,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories after the collection launched online. “All without my permission and approval,” he added. “SMH I wouldn’t buy it if I were you.” In a follow-up post, he called the line “trash” and encouraged his fans to save their money, saying, “I didn’t approve it, don’t buy it.” It’s unclear if Bieber’s approval was actually required to sell the merch. H&M responded with a statement obtained by the Cut, saying, “As with all other licensed products and partnerships, H&M followed proper approval procedures.”
According to @jbiebertraacker’s post on Instagram, the merch included a white sweatshirt featuring a collage of Bieber photos, a matching tote bag (the only item that appears to be available for purchase on the U.S. H&M website), and “World Tour” merch. (Bieber was forced to cancel his Justice World Tour earlier this year for health reasons.) It also apparently included a cell-phone case and a sweatshirt with the “Ghost” lyric “I miss you more than life.” Prior to posting on his stories, Bieber commented on @jbiebertraacker’s photo, writing, “When everyone finds out I didn’t approve any of this merch smh.”
Justin Bieber says H&M’s new merch is being sold without his permission or approval ? pic.twitter.com/Vv63GowZKv
— DANI MEDINA (@daniellanmedina) December 19, 2022
But after receiving heated backlash from Bieber’s fan base online, the retailer pulled all tote bags, tee shirts, and other items with Bieber’s image off their website.
There’s no word on whether or not the singer plans on suing the retailers, but in the past, Bieber hasn’t hesitated to take these matters to court. For example, after being accused of sexual assault, Bieber sued for defamation before dropping the case. Also, a visual artist attempting to use Bieber’s likeness was hit with a $100,000 lawsuit preventing them from using his work in a pop-up exhibition.
