Another day, another clothing store finds itself in the hot set. On the chopping block today: retailer giant H&M. The Swedish fast-fashion company is accused of copyright infringement. Pop singer Justin Bieber took to his Instagram Stories to blast the chain store for using his likeness in their latest musician merch collection.
While the Canadian musician is always up for a fun collaboration, look at his work with the restaurant Tim Horton’s. According to the “Justice” singer, though, this new “partnership” was one-sided.
In a note uploaded to his Instagram Stories yesterday (December 19), Bieber wrote, “I didn’t approve any of the merch collection that they put up at H&M. All [items are being sold] without my permission and approval.”
The entertainer has been keeping a low profile since being diagnosed with the rare condition Ramsey Hunter Syndrome which caused him to postpone his Justice world tour. Bieber urged fans to steer clear of the unauthorized items, saying, “I wouldn’t buy it if I were you. The H&M merch they made of me is trash, and I didn’t approve it. Don’t buy it.”
Initially, H&M stood by their decision to move forward with the line, telling Page Six they followed proper approval procedures: “As with all other licensed products and partnerships, H&M followed proper approval procedures.”
But after receiving heated backlash from Bieber’s fan base online, the retailer pulled all tote bags, tee shirts, and other items with Bieber’s image off their website.
There’s no word on whether or not the singer plans on suing the retailers, but in the past, Bieber hasn’t hesitated to take these matters to court. For example, after being accused of sexual assault, Bieber sued for defamation before dropping the case. Also, a visual artist attempting to use Bieber’s likeness was hit with a $100,000 lawsuit preventing them from using his work in a pop-up exhibition.