After accusing a startup called Artisan of misusing his work, artist KC Green, creator of the popular “This is Fine” meme, says he has reached a settlement with Artisan.
The dispute arose after the startup appeared to have used a version of Green’s art to promote its AI assistant, Ava. In Artisan’s bus and subway ads, Green’s striking dog sat amid visible flames, but instead of saying “It’s okay,” he declared, “My pipeline is on fire,” and the ad urged people to “Hire AI BDR Ava.”
Earlier this month, Green posted on social media that his artwork had been “stolen like it was stolen by AI” and urged his followers to “destroy” the ad if they see it. He also told TechCrunch that he felt frustrated about having to “participate directly in the American court system” instead of investing that time in his comics.
Artisan, meanwhile, said he “has a lot of respect for Green and his work.” Then, earlier this week, founder and CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack said the two sides had reached an agreement.
When TechCrunch contacted Green, he confirmed that they “reached an agreement very quickly,” with Artisan halting ads in New York and San Francisco that used his character, and Green halting his initial post.
