Megadeth settle lawsuit over artwork for new album
American thrash metal band Megadeth have settled a copyright lawsuit levied against them regarding the artwork for their most recent album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!
The group was sued by New York-based illustrator Brent Elliott White earlier this year, with the artist claiming that he invested “hundreds of hours of work” into the album’s design and had not been paid for his services.
At the time, White was also claiming that he had retained ownership of the copyright to the art, even though it featured Megadeth’s mascot Vic Rattlehead, which is a registered trademark of the band.
Both parties filed a joint notice of settlement informing the court that they had “reached an agreement in principle for the resolution of this action”, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The lawsuit is expected to be dismissed in the next 30 days, with White’s attorney announcing that “the matter has been resolved amicably.”
White claimed that he had completed the artwork for the album, plus its additional singles and EP artwork, but was not paid by the time Megadeth began using the images in official releases. When Megadeth released The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! in September of 2022, the two parties had yet to formally agree on a price, leading to White’s eventual lawsuit.
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