Firm must pay Banksy's costs after dropping claim

A company which tried to sue the artist Banksy has been ordered to pay his costs after the judge found the case to be "unreasonable".

In 2022, graffity artist Banksy, from Bristol, sued clothes retailer Guess, claiming the company had used his designs without permission.

Banksy was then sued for defamation by Brandalised, a company which claimed to be able to licence the artwork used by Guess. Brandalised has since discontinued the claim against the artist.

Mr Justice Nicklin at the High Court found the claim had always been "without any real prospect of success" and that Brandalised "deliberately exposed Banksy to the risk his anonymity might be jeopardised" to exert pressure".

The court concluded the claim lacked "real prospects of success" and the proceedings were "deployed for leverage rather than adjudication".

The judge ordered Brandalised to pay Banksy's legal costs.

Matthew Gill, a lawyer who worked on the case for Banksy, said in a social media post: "It's a great judgment vindicating a tonne of work on an anonymity application, defence and strike out application. It was a joy to work on."

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