CHICAGO, June 9 (UPI) -- The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts has filed a lawsuit against a Chicago company that offers hand-painted copies of masterpiece paintings.
Arts-Studio.com's inventory includes downscaled copies of Warhol's giant portrait of Mao Zedong for $229, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The copies are the work of artists at a studio in Thailand.
Warhol left control of his work to the foundation when he died in 1987 at the age of 59. Under current U.S. copyright law, his work will not enter the public domain for another 52 years.
The suit asks a federal judge to issue a restraining order blocking Arts-Studio from selling copies of Warhol paintings.
"Mr. Warhol's only wish for his legacy was that proceeds from the sale or licensing of his work would go toward supporting the advancement of the visual arts in our society and culture," said Joel Wachs, president of the Warhol Foundation.
