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

The lawsuit targets several defendants including:

• iCanvas (canvas-art company)
• Target
• Home Depot
• Bed Bath & Beyond's parent company
• 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. This image became culturally significant, with the actual crown later selling for nearly $600,000 at auction.

According to the lawsuit, iCanvas began infringing on Biggie's rights in 2015 through:

• Unauthorized use of his name, image, and likeness (NIL)
• Trademark violations
• Copyright infringement of the photograph

The company allegedly created and sold 108 different SKUs featuring artwork based on the "King of New York" photo. When contacted in 2023, iCanvas claimed they received the artwork from two individuals but failed to provide their contact information or remove all infringing products.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages for:

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

While most retailers removed the products after being notified, the lawsuit claims Bed Bath & Beyond initially kept the items listed on their website.

The case, filed in Illinois federal court, remains ongoing with plaintiffs indicating their intention to add more defendants in the future.

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