Travis Scott Sues for $100 Million Over Botched $1.5M UTOPIA Stage Set and Exploitation of His Image

Rapper Travis Scott is suing Show Motion Engineering for $100 million, claiming the firm did not deliver a custom stage set for his 2023 UTOPIA tour and used his name and likeness without permission.

Scott alleges in court documents, which were obtained by AllHipHop, that a Wyoming-based company called Show Motion failed to deliver an extravagant stage set he ordered and paid more than $1.5 million for.

The rapper claims massive damage to his image and a financial loss of millions after the company did not put the set together for inspection before the final payment could be made.

According to Scott's team, Show Motion would not release a set, which meant Scott could not use it on tour when payments were stopped. The lawsuit also alleges the company benefited from Scott's brand identity by displaying his image and past concert footage on its website without permission.

According to the suit, Show Motion developed a website with images and footage of Scott images from earlier performances, including sets at the Rolling Loud and Made in America festivals, juxtaposed with imagery that invoked the UTOPIA project.

Scott's company, XX Global, has also accused the company of showing images of UTOPIA's stage and various designs on its website without permission.

According to Scott's attorney, Edwin F. McPherson, the actions of Show Motion "were done intentionally or with a conscious disregard of [Scott's] rights, and with the intent to vex, injure or annoy [Scott] such as to constitute oppression, fraud, or malice, thus entitling [Scott] to exemplary and punitive damages in an amount appropriate to punish or set an example of Defendants, and each of them, and to deter such conduct in the future."

That lawsuit asks for $5 million in direct damages from the copyright violations and another $10 million in profits that Show Motion purported to have raked in from sold marketing materials incorporating Scott's designs.

Scott is also suing for $100 million for violations of his right to publicity and misappropriation of his name and likeness.

Legal trouble for this reinforces tensions within the entertainment industry, specifically regarding contracts in place and using the likeness of an artist for monetary purposes without their consent.

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