The ‘Metabirkin’ NFTs Are Headed to a Stockholm Museum
After a reversed judge’s ruling.
It’s been quite the journey in the plight of the ‘MetaBirkin’ NFT case. It first began in 2022 when Hermès sent a cease and desist letter to Mason Rothschild, the artist behind the ‘MetaBirkins’ NFTs. Then in February of 2023, the jury ruled in the French luxury brand’s favor in the Hermès v. Mason Rothschild case, which deemed the artist liable for trademark infringement over the signature Hermès handbag. Although the case has since concluded, the ‘MetaBirkin’ NFTs are now headed to the Stockholm museum.
A point of debate, this past March it was announced that a US district judge for New York Southern District denied a request for the NFTs to be exhibited at the museum. A decision made by Judge Jed S. Rakoff cited that it was unclear if the NFTs exhibition would not violate the injunction terms. But now things have changed. Rakoff has reversed his decision and is allowing the ‘MetaBirkin” NFTs to be exhibited at the Spritmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden as long as both Rothschild and the museum disclose the case’s outcome to visitors. Specifically, noting that the artist’s NFTs confused the public about any Hermès affiliation.
The museum intends to include the digital artworks as part of the “Andy Warhol: A Portrait of Commerce,” exhibition, which is curated by Blake Gopnik.
