Jeff Koons’ Lawsuit Claims to Ownership of Balloon Dog Image

Thursday, 20 January 2011 | by Pat's Picks

In my mind this falls into the same category as when the organizers of the Vancouver Olympics claimed they owned the word ‘winter’. Renowned artist Jeff Koons made a sculpture in the shape of a balloon dog, and now, says the New York Times, he claims that he owns the rights to all art in the balloon dog shape. The Times talks to a copyright lawyer who says Koons will have to prove that the maker of a bookend he is suing stole distinctive features of his balloon animals, which look a lot like every balloon animal I’ve ever seen. The Times also points out that Koons has frequently been on the other side of a copyright lawsuit—he’s been sued four times for appropriating someone else’s images.