No Assassin Merch Under the Christmas Tree: Copyright Claims Target Items Celebrating Accused CEO Killer Luigi Mangione

Artists, journalists, and merch sellers are facing a wave of DMCA takedown requests aimed at removing Luigi Mangione-related content from the internet. The accused CEO killer, a darling of the left, can be found on tee shirts and every other imaginable piece of merchandise, but copyright claims are taking them down at a rapid pace.

404Media reports that various entities are using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to target fan art and merchandise related to Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. For example, print-on-demand retailer TeePublic has reported receiving copyright claims from an entity claiming to be UnitedHealthcare, demanding the removal of Luigi Mangione fan art created by artist Rachel Kenaston.

Leftists busy sending love letters to Mangione in jail may be disappointed to find a distinct lack of Luigi merchandise under the Christmas tree this year.

Kenaston’s artwork, a watercolor painting based on surveillance footage of Luigi Mangione, was removed from TeePublic following the DMCA takedown request. TeePublic told Kenaston that the takedown notice was valid and sent by the proper rightsholder, despite the fact that UnitedHealthcare has no legitimate claim to the copyright of Kenaston’s artwork.

DMCA takedowns extend beyond fan art, with independent journalist Marisa Kabas receiving a takedown demand from a lawyer claiming to represent the Mangione family. The lawyer demanded that Kabas remove an image of Luigi Mangione and his family that she had posted on leftist echo chamber Bluesky, despite the fact that the image had been publicly available on the campaign website of Maryland assemblyman Nino Mangione.

The Lumen Database, a repository of DMCA takedown requests, reveals several other instances of claims targeting Luigi Mangione-related content. These include takedown requests filed by individuals named Samantha Montoya and Manh Nguyen, targeting “Deny, Defend, Depose” merchandise that incorporates elements of the UnitedHealthcare logo. However, the affiliation of these individuals remains unclear.