Blue Dog artist sues for copyright infringement

"Blue Dog" artist and creator George Rodrigue sued Dolores Putman, the owner of the Bergen-Putman Gallery; artist Darryl Dean, who has incorporated a blue dog into his own work; and a second, as yet unidentified artist, for copyright infringement. Story here from The Times-Picayune.

At issue are paintings and white T-shirts that feature the image of a blue dog lounging inside a martini glass, all sold recently at Putman's gallery, which is down the block from Rodrigue's Royal Street studio.

The lawsuit, filed Dec. 17 in U.S. District Court, says that Putman and the two artists infringed on Rodrigue's copyright by peddling the items featuring images "similar or virtually identical" to his Blue Dog, a yellow-eyed canine image that Rodrigue created 20 years ago.

Rodrigue is represented by New Orleans attorney Kyle Schonekas of Schonekas, Winsberg, Evans & McGoey, L.L.C.