Twitter users woke up this morning to find the hashtag #AaronCarter trending on the social media platform.
The trend after Jonas Jödicke (@JoJoesArt), a 25-year-old digital artist from Berlin, took to Twitter to accuse Carter of using his work to promote his merchandise without permission.
Hey @aaroncarter .. You are using my artwork to promote your merchandise. I have not given you permission to do so. My art is being commercially exploited by people on a daily basis. We artists have rights, too!
Iˋd really appreciate if you could retweet this so he‘ll see it. https://t.co/ktusJEo3dz
— Jonas Jödicke (@JoJoesArt) January 18, 2020
Jödicke, who has about 259,000 followers on Instagram and sells his artwork on Etsy, said that as a celeb and artist who is familiar with copyright laws, Carter should have known better than to use his work without permission.
Celebs like @aaroncarter should set an example, especially since he’s also from a creative background and knows copyright laws. If they can take art and do whatever with it, anyone can and will do it. If they’re not held responsible, people won’t stop treating artists like crap.
— Jonas Jödicke (@JoJoesArt) January 18, 2020
However, Aaron Carter denied that he was violating the artist’s copyright by using his image without first seeking permission and refused to take down the image from his Twitter page.
Carter claimed that he used the image after a fan sent it to him and that the artist should have taken Carter’s use of his work as a compliment.
“you should’ve taken it as a compliment d**k a fan of MINE sent this to me. oh here they go again, the answer is No this image has been made public and im using it to promote my clothing line… guess I’ll see you in small claims court F*****Y.”
https://twitter.com/aaroncarter/status/1218330225425055744
Jödicke was taken aback by Carter’s response and followed up his initial complaint with other tweets expressing his shock. He then tweeted a request to his followers to privately message him if they know a good lawyer who can represent him.
This is his reply. I am lost for words. pic.twitter.com/qVcphYttdf
— Jonas Jödicke (@JoJoesArt) January 18, 2020
Thank you for all the comments and retweets everyone! It helps tremendously. I‘ll keep you updated once I have more info. If you know a good lawyer or have contact to media outlets, please private message or email me: [email protected]
You don’t mess with twitter artists.
— Jonas Jödicke (@JoJoesArt) January 18, 2020
And to make this clear: I would have been happy to handle this issue differently, had he reached out privately after my tweet. But the way he responded is making a mockery of the artist community and I can’t sit with that. I‘ve had enough of people treating artists that way.
— Jonas Jödicke (@JoJoesArt) January 18, 2020
Twitter users react
Many Twitter users reacted to the exchange between Carter and the artist Jödicke. Many criticized Carter, saying that his response to the artist was rude and that he should not have used the artist’s work without his permission.
@aaroncarter I was a huge fan of yours since I was in middle school. Thats 20 years. This… I have lost all respect for you. I am so disappointed. My heart literally hurts right now…. pic.twitter.com/njsGtyyLaL
— Julia?BunBun?North (@jbug5j) January 18, 2020
Apparently we can all steal Aaron Carter’s music and he’ll think it’s a compliment. https://t.co/CdWDyaD1bs
— Gavin Free (@GavinFree) January 18, 2020
"You should've taken it as a compliment".
Well, that might've worked Aaron Carter… If you gave the guy credit for his work. Seriously, why is people think that they can steal artwork and claim it as their own for promotion… And when they get called out, they throw tantrums pic.twitter.com/JBOUPvIQ1j
— MangaKamen – When I shine, darkness fades (@Manga_Kamen) January 18, 2020
Aaron Carter's response to artist Jonas Jödicke won't sit well with any artist I know. This kind of thing should trigger more serious legal consequences. The "small claims court" reference is telling.
(I checked, btw—JJ's screenshot is accurate.)https://t.co/M1vDkBTaMq— scott⚡️mccloud (@scottmccloud) January 18, 2020
This is not the first time that Carter has been accused of using an artist’s work without their permission.
Last year, he was accused of using artwork by an artist called Ali Shimhaq without the artist’s permission. Carter claimed that he had purchased the work from the artist before modifying and using it. But Shimhaq later denied that he sold the artwork to Carter.
Blatantly stolen! ? https://t.co/zpRGfB7laN
— Shimhaq (@shimhaq) September 27, 2019
Nice caption edit, @aaroncarter. Now it's been changed from one lie to another. You didn't buy this off @shimhaq, the original artist = you don't own the art! pic.twitter.com/zFaFWse4Ao
— idc (@dontcallmedeviI) September 28, 2019
The incident involving Shimhaq generated a backlash on social media and Carter later took to Twitter to announce that he had pulled the image from his social media pages.
I’m pulling the lion image I was accused of stealing this and bullied and I’m throwing it in the trash and suing everyone coming st me for clout I’m going to render a new one for myself pic.twitter.com/demnIHl22Z
— AARON CARTER (@aaroncarter) September 28, 2019
Carter addresses pedophilia allegations
Carter also found the time, between expletive-filled responses to the allegations of stealing an artist’s work, to post a tweet in which he said he’s been reading tweets accusing him of being ” a pedophile, a scam artist, a liar, a drug addict, art thief fake producer,” and said he was not afraid of addressing the allegations publicly.
He then threatened to sue any media source that accuses him of pedophilia.
“I’m actually reading tweets about me being a pedophile, a scam artist, a liar, a drug addict, art thief fake producer, I’m gonna explain something to you. EVERYONE who knows me professionally/personally all know ME, I’m not afraid to address this publicly any fallacies publicly.”
I'm actually reading tweets about me being a pedophile, a scam artist, a liar, a drug addict, art thief fake producer, I'm gonna explain something to you. EVERYONE who knows me professionally/personally all know ME, I'm not afraid to address this publicly any fallacies publicly.
— AARON CARTER (@aaroncarter) January 18, 2020
https://twitter.com/aaroncarter/status/1218330555567099904
Aaron Carter is a singer and rapper who rose to fame in the 1990s as a child star. He is the younger brother of Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter.