Fashion Designer Sues LEGO For ‘Queer Eye’ Jacket

That’s a mouthful of pop culture, ain’t it? “Fashion Designer Sues LEGO for Queer Eye jacket.” 

It’s true, New York-based fashion designer James Concannon has filed a lawsuit against LEGO. He claims the company made a “blatant copy” of a jacket he designed for Queer Eye cast member Antoni Porowski. 

Somebody’s hard for cash and attention, eh? 

Concannon claims that LEGO didn’t ask for permission to use the “unique placement, coordination, and arrangement of the individual artistic elements.” 

A side-by-side comparison of the jacket by the designer and the LEGO version show obvious similarities. They also show obvious differences in those similarities. The design has been LEGO-fied … or LEGO-ized. I’m not sure of the technical term. 

Well, Did LEGO Steal The Design?

About as much as they stole Star Wars or Harry Potter. The Queer Eye LEGO set is one of the more recent in a line of sets for adult collectors. There are also LEGO sets of Friends and Seinfeld. 

No word on whether Jerry Seinfeld or Jennifer Aniston are suing the iconic Danish toy company.

LEGO’s lawyers did admit that they copied Concannon’s sweet design. Just like they copied Chewbacca’s design for their Chewbacca LEGO. Or how they copied Iron Man’s design for their Chewbacca LEGO. 

Now, maybe LEGO had Disney’s permission to use those designs. In fact, I’m sure they had a deal worked out. Just like how Netflix, which produces Queer Eye probably has a deal with LEGO. 

Concannon, being a super cool guy about all this, claims that the hit Netflix series had always asked permission to use his designs. That was not the case regarding the jacket in question. Concannon claims he gifted this brilliant and unique jacket to Antoni and never objected to its use on the show in the past. 

It wasn’t until LEGO released the Queer Eye – The Fab 5 Loft that the designer changed his mind. 

Interesting.

Is LEGO Going To Have To Pay?

According to Julie Zerbo, founder of The Fashion Law:

“Concannon’s jacket itself is not protectable. What’s protectable here – and what is at issue in this case – is the skull, the peace sign, the writing, and the placement of those elements on the jacket.

“In order to be able to really make a successful and viable case against LEGO, the court will have to find that these elements are, in fact, protectable by copyright, and that LEGO’s jacket replicates them in a way that is substantially similar.

“I don’t anticipate that this will be an easy case for James Concannon.”

I’m not sure Concannon’s PR team is thrilled with the headline “Fashion Designer sues LEGO ‘Queer Eye’ jacket.” Kinda makes the New York designer seem like a whiney, greedy wimp who’s perpetuating a harmful letigious culture this country struggles with. 

But what do I know?