Banksy told his followers to shoplift from the Regent Street Guess store in London after it displayed a collection that used his artwork without permission.
Banksy isn’t happy with Guess’ latest collaboration.
The legendary anonymous graffiti artist had a directive for his followers on Friday, encouraging them—possibly tongue in cheek, possibly not—to visit the Regent Street Guess store in London and steal the brand’s new collection that features his artwork.
“Attention all shoplifters. Please go to Guess on Regents Street. They’ve helped themselves to my artwork without asking, how can it be wrong for you to do the same to their clothes?”
His celebrity status depends on hyperbolic rhetoric like this. If he had handled it the way normal people do, through courts, he'd be damaging his mystique. The sheep that think he's the bee's knees slurp this bullshit up.
Corporations don’t deserve that right. His stance on this is directly related to corporate abuse of the system. Nuance is difficult though so I understand why it’s easy for you to feel like you made a good point.
I can't say legally since I'm not a lawyer but I don't think much of people who suggest you do (crime) because (crime) occurred. I consider it a low-end mentality to view that as a resolution or justice of some kind.
Not as funny as a person adept at using stencils to paint on other people's property getting upset someone used his stenciling on their property, IMHO.
If he had handled it the way normal people do, through courts
There is more to it than that. He's been blocked from claiming the copyright on his own work since he'd need to dox himself. He can't claim the copyright as 'Banksy' since it's not his real name.