Great Dane Graphics is a leading supplier of high-quality, full-color, production-ready artwork for garment decoration. Great Dane has spent years cultivating its extensive portfolio, which it continuously updates and freshens, with the intent to provide its licensees / subscribers – big or small – with an easy and affordable way to create unique one-of-a-kind creations for their own customers.

In the digital age, the creativity and time required to develop such a portfolio and the intellectual property rights that result, are often overshadowed by the ease of illegally downloading or copying artwork with the “click” of a mouse. Although doing so without an appropriate license may seem like a victimless act, there are, in fact, many victims.

For example, an illegal download affects the value of Great Dane’s artwork portfolio, undercuts the investments made by Great Dane’s paying licensees / subscribers and adversely impacts Great Dane’s ability to support the creativity of its amazing artists.

Recently, Vovo Inc., a Massachusetts-based apparel company, stole a large portion of Great Dane’s portfolio, posted the portfolio images online and then created garments with the stolen artwork. Those illegal activities forced Great Dane to file a federal lawsuit for copyright infringement.

The parties have reached an agreement to settle this matter and, as part of their resolution, Vovo’s owner, Jonathan Gosselin, made the following apology: “I stole Great Dane’s designs and used them as my own. Posting Great Dane’s portfolio online combined with my failure to pay the requisite license fees harmed Great Dane and its paying customers, as well as its artists. My actions were both illegal and immoral, and I apologize for my conduct.” MORE INFO