Jeff Koons dodges time-barred copyright suit

MANHATTAN — The Second Circuit upheld a New York federal court’s decision to dismiss artist Michael Hayden’s copyright lawsuit against pop artist Jeff Koons over the latter’s “Made in Heaven” billboard artworks, which debuted in 1989 and 1990. Koons’ work depicted models on a set that included an original Hayden sculpture. Hayden claims he knew nothing about Koons and his allegedly infringing work until 2019, but the court says “the discovery rule does not allow plaintiffs to bury their heads in the sand, ignore widespread international media coverage of allegedly infringing art, and then sue for potential infringement some thirty years later.”