Justin Bieber is the latest pop star whose image you can’t escape. But Vancouver-based Bluewater Productions’ plans to enshrine him in a comic book have drawn the threat of a lawsuit by a global merchandising company.
Darren Davis, president and publisher of Bluewater, said on Thursday that his company received two letters from attorney Kenneth Feinswog on behalf of the merchandising company Bravado, which licenses the images of celebrities like Bieber for everything from posters to lunchboxes.
One of the letters demands that Bluewater, which specializes in biographical comic books, stop its plans to publish a biographical comic book of Bieber in October. Davis said his company is on solid legal ground and has no plans to stop the release of the comic book.
“We’re totally within our First Amendment rights,” he said. “We’re not going to show (Bieber’s) album covers. We know the difference between trademark and nontrademark.”
No lawsuit has been filed against Bluewater in the matter. Feinswog declined to comment, referring press inquiries to Bravado spokesman Peter Lofrumento.
“Bravado is committed to protecting the rights of its artists,” Lofrumento said. “It’s an ongoing situation.”
Davis said Feinswog’s cease-and-desist letter isn’t the first Bluewater has received.
“It’s not the last one we’ll get,” he said. “We handle all of them seriously.”
Jason Schultz, spokesman for Bluewater, said the cease-and-desist letter concerned Bieber, but that in a follow-up letter, Feinswog, in laying out his case, also mentioned that Bravado handles the licensing of images of the pop star Lady Gaga. Schultz said Bluewater has already produced two Lady Gaga comic book titles and plans to release a third in November.
Davis said he’s not sure how the existence of the letters leaked out. The issue has garnered media attention, including gossip and press accounts on the Internet. “It’s not that big of a deal,” Davis said.
As a way to diversify its business, Bluewater has taken to specializing in biographical comic books, publishing books highlighting everyone from First Lady Michelle Obama to “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson. Davis said the company conducts its own research to support its biographical books.
“These are not slanderous at all,” he said. “These actually show the people in a very good light.”
The company has collaborated on projects with “Star Trek” star William Shatner, Davis said, and it has donated proceeds of certain book sales to charities. For example, a portion of the company’s planned comic book about Olivia Newton-John will go to cancer research.
“I’m transcribing my interview with her now,” Davis said.
