Metal Anarchy

Photographer Laura Ioana V has called out Sleep Token for a new merch design featuring a photo she took of Vessel at the 2023 Copenhell festival in Copenhagen, Denmark. The picture was allegedly used without permission.

Laura said the following:

“This year I found out the photo I took in 2023 at @copenhell festival (on an editorial assignement for a magazine) was used for merch in 2024, without my permission. I have not signed any contract granting anyone the licensing rights to these photos.

I know a lot of you loved these photos and I am very grateful for the support, but now I need some help sharing this so I can get to management. I have sent emails myself and sent a lot of dms on socials as well but I haven’t been succesful in establishing a communication line with the band directly.

I have only been in contact with one person who was involved with the coin and I have been called agressive for saying the settlement they offered was unfair and that it’s an unacceptable situation, so hoping to get to the band management directly.

As a small creator it is a bit disheartening when you do something with passion and it gets stolen for profit and dismissed like this. Also, on top of that, it seems to not be an isolated case.

Also, considering the amounts of copyright issues this band had with small creators (fanart, tattoo artists etc) it is probably worth creating some awareness on the irony of all of this.

Please share and help out”

She later added:

“Management finally got in contact so let’s see what solution they will have to this.”

[via Blunt Magazine]