Rihanna Sues for $5 Million: Top Shop Guilty of Printing Star's Face on Shirt? (PHOTO)
Rihanna is filing a $5 million lawsuit against U.K. retailer The Top Shop, issuing a complaint against the company for using her face on a shirt without her permission.
A trendy store that originates from the U.K. but also has a home in New York's SoHo neighborhood, the Top Shop was once a place where Rihanna enjoyed shopping. However, since the retails store began selling a shirt with her photo across it, she's been a less satisfied customer.
The R&B singer has hired international law firm Reed Smith to a file a lawsuit in London, according to The New York Post, for putting a picture of her face on a product without her permission. According to sources, the singer attempted to work with the store to pull the shirt or compensate her for using her image, but the store was not interested in complying.
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"Rihanna's management asked Topshop a number of times to stop selling her image and were told, 'We do what we want.' They buy the pictures from a photographer, but they do not pay the artist licensing fees. Unfortunately, UK law does not protect the artist," the source told The Post. "What is most offensive for Rihanna is that they basically told her, 'Go to hell. We don't care; we are going to continue selling you.'"
The Top Shop store in the U.S. is not selling the shirt because more laws exist that would prohibit the store from using Rihanna's image. But the case may work differently in the U.K.
"Topshop is now in the United States. They set up in Manhattan and Nordstrom, but they know better than to do this in the US because they would get in trouble," the source continued.
Despite having any laws to back her, however, Rihanna has decided to file suit in London out of "principle."
"Even though the UK laws don't protect the artist, she has decided to move forward and sue Topshop. She has spent almost $1 million in litigation at this point. She says it's the principle, and wants to make a statement about it. They are taking advantage of artists. It is just exploitation. What they are doing is wrong," the insider added.
