In February 2018, Kendrick Lamar and SZA were sued by British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor over the video for their Black Panther single “All the Stars.” In the lawsuit, Viktor claimed that the video took uncredited design cues from her “Constellation” series for which she was initially seeking damages. Now, the Black Panther musicians have settled with Viktor, as Pitchfork reports.
In the suit, Viktor claimed that representatives for Marvel initially reached out to her on two occasions in an effort to use her artwork in the film, but that she ultimately declined to participate, as the New York Times points out. “The infringement of Ms. Viktor’s rights is willful and egregious,” Viktor’s lawyer Christopher Robinson told the Times. “Why would they do this? It’s an ethical issue, because what the whole film purports is that it’s about black empowerment, African excellence—that’s the whole concept of the story. And at the same time they’re stealing from African artists.”
Back in July, SZA and Kendrick Lamar blocked Viktor from receiving any profits from the single or album. According to the lawsuit, the visual artist was not entitled to any profits from the song because “common sense and logic dictate that the alleged 19-second use of the artwork in the video” is completely unrelated to the success of the song. As of December 21, the case is now closed with all claims dismissed.
