Banksy: culture, counterculture and cancellation

ABSTRACT Banksy has long been the poster boy for the art counterculture. But like most things in the art world, the counterculture has become mainstream, and so has Banksy. Having spent his entire career shunning the intellectual property system, Banksy is now firmly entrenched in it. This article will explore Banksy’s recent trade mark strategy, including his success and his failures in a trilogy of cases heard across Europe. This article will explore the consequences of these decisions for Banksy’s remaining trade mark portfolio and how they may influence his legal strategy, and his art, into the future.