Hermès suing American artist over NFTs inspired by its Birkin bags NFTs

創作靈感來自柏金包 愛馬仕控告美國藝術家

【摘要2022.2.13.日.自由】◎周虹汶

French luxury group Hermès has started legal proceedings against an American artist over virtual versions inspired by its famous Birkin bags.

法國精品集團愛馬仕對受其知名柏金包所啟發而設計出虛擬版的一位美國藝術家展開訴訟程序。

Mason Rothschild creates digital art that he sells as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, which can be traded online but ownership cannot be forged.

梅森．羅斯柴爾德創造出這個他以非同質化代幣（NFTs）出售的數位藝術品，NFTs可以在網路上交易，且無法偽造所有權。

He named the works depicting fanciful furry Birkin bags “MetaBirkins” and sold them on websites dedicated to selling NFTs.

他把這些描繪奇異毛皮柏金包的作品命名為「MetaBirkins」，並在專門販賣NFTs的網站上出售。

“Defendant’s MetaBirkins brand simply rips off Hermès’ famous Birkin trademark by adding the generic prefix ‘meta’to the famous trademark Birkin,” it said in its complaint filed in New York.

愛馬仕在紐約提起的訴狀中說，被告的MetaBirkins品牌對知名的柏金商標加上通用前綴「meta」，根本就是剽竊愛馬仕知名的柏金商標。

Rothschild said in an online post that he was not creating or selling fake Birkin bags.

羅斯柴爾德在一篇網路貼文說，他不是創造或販售假的柏金包。

“I’ve made art works that depict imaginary, fur-covered Birkin bags,” he said, adding that as art it was freedom of expression protected by the US constitution, “just as it gave Andy Warhol the right to make and sell art depicting Campbell’s soup cans”.

他說：「我所創造的藝術作品是描繪想像中包覆毛皮的柏金包」，並補充說，作為藝術，它是受美國憲法保障的言論自由，「就像它給予安迪．沃荷權利，來製造與和販售描繪康寶濃湯罐的藝術作品一樣。」

新聞辭典

proceedings：名詞，訴訟程序、一系列活動、年報、會議錄。例句：The judge cannot interfere directly in these proceedings.（法官不能直接干預這些訴訟程序）

complaint：名詞，控訴、控告、抱怨、不滿。例句：I took down the name and rank of their commanding officer, to hand in a complaint about it.（我記下了他們的指揮官的名字和軍階，準備提出申訴。）

freedom of expression：表達自由、表意自由、言論自由。