DMCA Takedowns Target Luigi Mangione Content, Creating Controversy Over Copyright Claims

A rising wave of DMCA takedown requests has swept across the internet, targeting fan art, merchandise, and content related to Luigi Mangione, a controversial figure accused of assassinating Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. The requests are being used to remove various forms of Mangione-related media, including tee shirts and other merchandise featuring his image, much to the dismay of supporters and creators.

According to 404Media, these takedowns are largely based on claims made by entities using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to enforce removal. For instance, print-on-demand platform TeePublic reported receiving a takedown notice for artwork by artist Rachel Kenaston. Her watercolor painting, inspired by surveillance footage of Mangione, was taken down after a DMCA request that TeePublic accepted as valid, despite UnitedHealthcare having no legitimate copyright claim over Kenaston’s work.

The takedowns extend beyond fan art. Independent journalist Marisa Kabas also faced a copyright demand from a lawyer claiming to represent the Mangione family, asking her to remove a publicly available image of Mangione and his family that was originally posted on the campaign website of Maryland assemblyman Nino Mangione.

The controversy surrounding the DMCA claims has led to confusion, as individuals like Samantha Montoya and Manh Nguyen have also filed takedown requests targeting merchandise that incorporates the UnitedHealthcare logo. However, the affiliation of these individuals remains unclear, raising questions about the legitimacy of some of these copyright claims.

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