Antoni Porowski’s Queer Eye Leather Jacket Is at the Center of a Consequential LEGO Lawsuit

Toy company LEGO will continue to face a lawsuit from a fashion designer whose leather jacket, worn by Antoni Porowski on an episode of Queer Eye, was reproduced in a LEGO set based on the reality makeover show.On Sunday, U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut judge Omar A. Williams denied in part LEGO’s motion for summary judgment, in essence refusing to dismiss designer James Concannon’s various copyright infringement claims against the toymaker, per an exclusive report in The Fashion Law. LEGO attempted to claim implied licence and fair use, both defenses which the court felt did not pass muster. Concannon first sued LEGO in 2021, per CNN. In 2018, Concannon created a custom leather jacket for Porowski, a member of the Fab Five, that included his “signature propaganda-infused aesthetic.” The jacket, which Porowski wore on a 2019 episode of Queer Eye, was then featured in a LEGO set (“Queer Eye — The Fab 5 Loft”) released in September 2021. Per an image of the two jackets posted on Concannon’s own Instagram in 2021, both jackets feature a peace sign on the left lapel and a skull design on the right upper chest. See on Instagram “Been holding my inner grudge a second but SALTY today, so let’s do it. HEY @lego it was quite the honor to see my art remade by you,” Concannon wrote on Instagram in November 2021. “After several calls with different reps at the company I was promised a couple boxes including my remade (and uncompensated) art for my son and I to play with. Your reps told me how they loved creators. It was really sad on the release date to be told ‘we can’t send you a box but you can buy one,’” Concannon wrote. “I used to really like legos. Now = intellectual property theft. Feel free to tag @lego and let them know how you feel! Also if there any IP lawyer that think they can bring a case to fruition, get at me. Shame on you @lego.” In the original lawsuit, Concannon claimed that LEGO did not seek his authori