Megadeth are being sued by the artist behind the cover of their latest album, The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!.
Illustrator and designer Brent Elliott White has filed a lawsuit against the band and frontman Dave Mustaine, plus their label and management, for copyright infringement.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, White, who previously illustrated the covers for the band’s Endgame, Dystopia and Warheads On Foreheads albums, claims that he “created artwork and characters for Megadeth that have become an integral part of the band’s identity.”
He goes on to say that he was contacted in early 2020 to create the artwork for The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!, going through “multiple revisions and edits and hundreds of hours of work” without receiving a contract.
White claims that he still hadn’t signed a contract by the time the first single from the album was released, and as such he still held the copyright on the image. The lawsuit extends to the artwork being used “in connection with other commercial activites”, including merchandise.
He is citing a New York law, which requires a written contract and "timely and full payment" for any work worth more than $800.
White is seeking damages for copyright infringement and unpaid wages, and seeking an injunction to prevent the band and their label from using the artwork.
