Art supply retailer Michaels sues Chicago artist Pose in marketing dispute
The federal filing follows a January cease-and-desist letter sent by the artist.
Market and Money
Michaels, the Texas-based chain of art supply stores, has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago artist Pose amid a dispute over the use of his artworks in marketing materials.
The retailer preemptively filed the lawsuit against Pose, whose legal name is Jordan Nickel, in a federal court in Texas earlier this month after it said it received a cease-and-desist letter from the artist in January—allegedly threatening legal action if Michaels did not stop using his artwork in connection with the sale of spray paint in its stores.
Michaels is asking the court to declare that it has not infringed on Pose’s copyrights, has not engaged in unfair competition and has not violated state or federal law, according to court documents obtained by Urgent Matter. Beyond the judgment, Michaels seeks reimbursement for its legal fees and other relief to be determined by the court.
The dispute, according to Michaels, is rooted in a 2014 sponsorship agreement between Pose and the Australian manufacturer AVT Paints, the maker of Ironlak spray paints. Michaels said Pose provided the artwork to Ironlak, which was used in its own advertisements for spray paint.
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Court Documents: Michaels Sues Pose in Copyright Dispute
Records from U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
Adam Schrader
“During this time, AVT Paints represented that there was a sponsorship agreement in place between AVT Paints and Pose to use his artwork and Pose has never previously objected to its use,” Michaels said in its lawsuit.
The retailer noted that Ironlak’s website still uses Pose’s artwork to market the spray paint.
“At no time prior to Michaels’ use of the artwork did Pose contact AVT Paints to rescind the license or indicate that he wished to discontinue the relationship,” Michaels said.
“Based on its communications with AVT Paints and the images of Pose’s artwork on Ironlak’s website, Michaels understood it had permission or a license to use Pose’s artwork in the marketing of Ironlak spray paint.”
Michaels in its lawsuit provided a screenshot of its own listing for Ironlak’s spray paint on the retailer’s website, showing its use of Pose’s art. The company said it sold the spray paint from June 2025 into January, when it received the cease-and-desist letter.
“Michaels had no intention of displaying artwork that it did not believe had been properly supplied and approved for product marketing purposes,” the company said.
Michaels said in the lawsuit that Pose had claimed copyright protection for his artwork but has “failed” to “establish the existence of a valid and registered copyright for the work.”
Michaels said that no copyright registration existed while it was using the display and that, “upon information and belief,” registration did not occur until January 2026.
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Under U.S. law, copyright protection exists automatically when an original work is created, though registration is generally required before filing an infringement lawsuit.
“Despite removal of the artwork, Pose continues to claim Michaels is infringing on his rights to the artwork for the use in the display,” Michaels said.
Urgent Matter has reached out to Pose for more information and additional comment.
The news comes after rival retailer Artist & Craftsman filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections in December. The company has since moved to close at least two stores and won temporary court approval to keep using its cash.
Follow along with other lawsuits at Urgent Matter's art lawsuit tracker.
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