Nirvana Sues Marc Jacob Over Smiley-Face ‘Grunge’ Tee
Written by SOURCE on December 29, 2018
Nirvana has taken legal action against Marc Jacobs.
According to TMZ, Nirvana filed a lawsuit against the iconic American fashion label for allegedly ripping off their iconic smiley face band tee. Court documents state Marc Jacobs included a similar design in its newly launched “Bootleg Redux Grunge” collection. The piece in question features a crudely drawn smiley face with a “M” and “J” for eyes, a nearly identical replica of Nirvana’s dead-eye version.
But the similarities don’t end there. The front of the Marc Jacobs shirt is emblazoned with the word “Heaven,” while the back reads “Redux Grunge Collection 1993/2018 Marc Jacobs.” The typeface looks a lot like the “Onyx” font used in Nirvana’s original design, which features the band name on the front, and “FLOWER SNIFFIN KITTY PETTIN BABY KISSIN CORPORATE ROCK WHORES” on the back.
TMZ reports that Nirvana has owned the trademark to the zonked-out smiley face since 1992. The suit also declares Nirvana as one of the founders of ‘grunge,’ suggesting the “Bootleg Redux Grunge” title wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the band.
Marc Jacobs did not immediately respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
