Defunct band block Andy Warhol image from their 1967 album being used on iPads and iPhones
The Velvet Underground have filed a lawsuit seeking to block its iconic Andy Warhol-designed banana being used on covers for iPads and iPhones.
The defunct 1960’s band, formed by Lou Reed and John Cale, has announced it is taking action against the Andy Warhol Foundation after reading newspaper reports in the past year that the foundation had agreed to license the banana design to a series of cases, sleeves and bags.
According to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court, the group have claimed the iconic banana design is synonymous with The Velvet Underground, which features on their 1967 album ‘The Velvet Underground And Nico’.
The design, which was never officially copyrighted, “became a symbol, truly an icon, of The Velvet Underground for some 25 years”, court papers added, reports Reuters.
The Velvet Underground is seeking an injunction blocking the use of the banana by third parties, a declaration that the Warhol Foundation has no copyright interest in the design, unspecified damages, and a share of the profits made by the Warhol Foundation from any licensing deals.
The band’s drummer Moe Tucker recently found herself linked to the Tea Party movement in the US after she appeared in TV footage suggesting she was supporter.