Invader Sues Julien’s Auctions Over Alleged Theft and Copyright Infringement of Stolen Mosaics
A new legal battle is unfolding at the intersection of street art, intellectual property, and the art market. French artist Invader, internationally known for his pixelated mosaic installations inspired by retro video games, has filed a lawsuit against the parent company of Julien’s Auctions, alleging copyright infringement, theft, and violations of the U.S. Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA).
The complaint centres on 15 original tile mosaics that appeared in Julien’s Street Art: Paint and Pavement sale held on 25 September, which Invader claims were stolen from their public locations around the world and offered for sale without his consent.
Juliens Auction Instagram posts promoting ‘Street Art: Paint & Pavement’ on 5th September 2025
According to court filings, the works, some of which date back over two decades, “were stolen from their places of installation without Invader’s knowledge or consent” and have been “damaged, mutilated or distorted” in the process. Among the contested mosaics are two installed in Tokyo in 2014, five in France in November 2024, and one of the earliest examples from Paris in October 2000. Invader’s legal team demanded that all lots be withdrawn and returned to their rightful owner.
Juliens Auction Instagram posts promoting ‘Street Art: Paint & Pavement’ on 5th September 2025
A Victory for the Artist—For Now
On the same day as the sale, 25 September, the court granted Invader’s request for a temporary restraining order, compelling Julien’s Auctions to remove all 15 listings attributed to the artist from its online catalogue. The swift judicial response marked a rare but significant acknowledgment of the moral and authorship rights that artists retain under VARA even when their work exists in public space.
In a statement following the removal, Julien’s Auctions defended its position, arguing that “street art is created in public spaces and ownership transfers to those who lawfully acquire it.” The auction house added that it “would not offer works without consent, provenance, or partnership.”
Juliens Auction Instagram posts promoting ‘Street Art: Paint & Pavement’ on 5th September 2025
A Global Legacy Under Threat
Since launching his Space Invaders project in 1998, Invader has installed more than 4,000 mosaics across 87 countries and territories from Paris and Hong Kong to Los Angeles and even the on the International Space Station, with rumours we will see one on the moon. Each piece is meticulously catalogued, photographed, and archived on his interactive FlashInvaders app, forming one of the most ambitious street-art networks ever created.
Juliens Auction Instagram posts promoting ‘Street Art: Paint & Pavement’ on 5th September 2025
The alleged theft and resale of these mosaics therefore strike at the core of Invader’s artistic mission, one grounded in site-specificity and accessibility. To remove a mosaic from its environment, he argues, is to destroy the work’s essence, reducing it from a living public encounter to a collectible commodity.
Juliens Auction Instagram posts promoting ‘Street Art: Paint & Pavement’ on 5th September 2025
As the case moves forward, it could set an important precedent for street art’s legal status, testing the limitations of copyright, property law, and moral rights in the digital and public spheres alike.
Juliens Auction Instagram posts promoting ‘Street Art: Paint & Pavement’ on 5th September 2025
At GraffitiStreet we do not support or condone the removal of Invader’s works from their original locations. These mosaics are integral to the artist’s vision and belong to the environments for which they were created. Each installation is both a site-specific artwork and part of a global narrative that Invader has built over decades.
To detach them from their context is to erase their meaning, they part of a larger global story, one built on discovery, play, and the joy of the hunt. We firmly believe that these works remain the property of the artist, and we stand with Invader in protecting the integrity of his Invasions.