Rihanna Suing Retailer Topshop for $5 Million for Selling a T-Shirt With Her Face On It [PHOTO]
Rihanna is in the midst of a lawsuit with UK clothing retail giant Topshop, which has been using RiRi's face on its shirts without her consent -- and she wants $5 million for the breach.
A source for the New York Post said Ri's team tried to settle the matter outside of court for eight months but that the clothing company “offered her $5,000 and said they don’t care.”
"Rihanna’s management asked Topshop a number of times to stop selling her image and were told, ‘We do what we want.’ They buy the pictures from a photographer, but they do not pay the artist licensing fees," the insider said.
"Unfortunately, UK law does not protect the artist. Topshop is now in the United States. They set up in Manhattan and Nordstrom, but they know better than to do this in the US because they would get in trouble."
Rih's already spent $1 million of her own money on litigation, and even though UK laws aren't in her favor, she still plans to fight. The Post's source said she's mostly upset because she was basically given a giant corporate finger rather than anyone trying to work with her fairly.
"She says it’s the principle, and wants to make a statement about it," the tattletale divulged. "They are taking advantage of artists. It is just exploitation. What they are doing is wrong."