Judge Awards Graffiti Artists $6.7M in Suit Against Building Owner Who Whitewashed Their Art

A federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, awarded statutory damages of $6.7 million to 21 graffiti artists in a suit that contended a building owner violated federal law when he painted over their artwork.

U.S. District Judge Frederic Block ruled Monday that 45 works of graffiti art on the 5Pointz warehouses in the borough of Queens were protected under the Visual Artists Rights Act because of their “recognized stature,” report the Washington Post and the New York Times.

Read more.

If you would like to submit content or write an article for the Real Estate & Land Use Section, please email Kara Sikorski at ksikorski@indybar.org.