Taylor Swift Might Have Stolen an Artist's Work to Promote Her Album 1989

Artist Ally Burguieres claims that Taylor Swift, champion of artists getting paid, stole her artwork and appropriated it to promote her album 1989. According to Burguieres, after months of trying and failing to receive attribution for her work she wrote an open letter to Taylor Swift. 

This is how she summed up what happened and the fallout with Taylor's reps:

As a professional artist, I was astonished to see you use one of my most popular designs on all your official social media platforms as part of your promotions for 1989. While I wondered why no one had sought permission or offered compensation to do so, I recognized that such endorsement is a once-in-a-lifetime boost for an artist and can skyrocket an artist’s career. Friends congratulated me and customers expressed joy. But congratulations turned to confusion. The design was a copy, and with someone else’s name signed to it.

I was devastated, but I took solace in thinking that someone so outspoken about artists’ rights would willingly fix her mistake. Mistakes are easy to make; I thought if you only KNEW about the error, you would do what is in your power to make it right. I was wrong. My efforts to combat the pirated and unauthorized copy (and your use and distribution of it to millions of people) were noticed, as you removed the post after several days. But the copy had been shared and downloaded countless times, and it seemed neither you nor your team intended on correcting your mistake.

After months of effort, I received an offer from you and your team that mentions no credit to me as the artist of the design, but does include payment of a “four-figure” amount, with the stipulation that I must donate it all. Taylor, as a professional, would you agree to such terms from Apple, or Spotify?

via Ally Burguieres

She also included this image of her original work and the post in question. 


Swift's representatives have made a statement that flat out refuses any of Burguieres' claims. They explain the situation as a misunderstanding, countering that they did take down the post and offer up compensation which they did not require to be given to charity. They end their statement with this: 

We have tried on multiple occasions to address Ms. Burguieres' concerns, but these actions make it clear to us that this is just an unfortunate effort to extract more money and more publicity.

via Rolling Stone

With such different accounts of what happened, it's hard to know who is in the right. Burguieres managed to get recognition for her art but the fight seems to be ongoing.