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

The lawsuit, filed in Illinois federal court, targets iCanvas, Target, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond's parent company, and Nordstrom. The dispute centers around the famous photograph taken by Claiborne just three days before Biggie's death in 1997, showing the rapper wearing a plastic crown that later sold at auction for nearly $600,000.

According to the complaint, iCanvas began an alleged "multi-year unlawful campaign" in 2015, involving unauthorized use of Biggie's name, image, likeness (NIL), trademarks, and the photograph. The company allegedly created and sold 108 different SKUs featuring artwork based on the "King of New York" photo without proper authorization.

When contacted in 2023, iCanvas claimed they received the artwork from two individuals and removed some identified products, but allegedly failed to:

• Remove all infringing items
• Provide accounting details
• Share contact information for the contributing artists

Most retail defendants removed the products after receiving notice, except for Bed Bath & Beyond, which reportedly maintained listings until recently.

The plaintiffs seek damages for multiple violations, including:

• Copyright infringement
• Trademark infringement
• Publicity law violations
• Unfair competition
• False advertising

The lawsuit remains ongoing, with plaintiffs indicating their intention to add more defendants as the case progresses.

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