Beyoncé has been hit with a cease-and-desist letter from Sphere Entertainment Group after her “Cowboy Carter” tour visuals showed her towering over the Las Vegas skyline and lifting the Sphere venue like a toy.
The imagery, which debuted during the opening night of her tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, portrays the singer as a colossal figure interacting with the high-tech concert hall.
According to attorney Kathleen McCarthy, who represents Sphere Entertainment Group, the footage was used without permission and violates the company’s intellectual property rights.
“Beyoncé – many orders of magnitude larger than the Sphere venue – leans over, picks up the venue, and looms over it,” McCarthy wrote in the cease-and-desist letter.
“SEG was never asked and the prominent appearance and manipulation of SEG’s Sphere venue in the video is unauthorized.”
McCarthy further claimed the unauthorized use has stirred “significant speculation” that Beyoncé may be planning a residency at the Sphere, a rumor that has circulated since last year when talks reportedly fell through.
The letter demands that Beyoncé’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, “cease and desist from using the Sphere venue in the video immediately – in addition to refraining from using this imagery on any merchandise, promotional or marketing materials, or in tour movies.”
If Parkwood fails to comply, SEG’s legal team has warned it may pursue further action.
Beyoncé launched her “Cowboy Carter” tour on Monday, with dates scheduled across the U.S., London and Paris.
The tour supports her country-inspired album of the same name, which is set to wrap in July.
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