Early in September 2001, we here at NOT BORED! recently a letter (really an invoice) that "Artists Rights Society" that one Bill Brown personally owed the society $4,410.00 dollars for use of undisclosed Asger Jorn paintings on the NOT BORED! website. An attempt to see if Bill's stupid/scared/rich enough to just cough up the money, it was responded to by this letter:
Dear Artists Rights Society:
536 Broadway, 5th Floor
NYC NY 10012
I have received a "Statement of Unpaid Invoices" (invoice number I0019948), dated Sept 6 2001, that was sent to me at POB 1115 NYC 10009-9998.
1) Though the painter Asger Jorn is not listed among the artists represented by your group, 2) though this "Statement" fails to mention any specific painting by Asger Jorn, 3) though this "Statement" fails to refer to a specific URL (web page), 4) though this "Statement" does not indicate the means by which the "Undue Balance" was calculated, and 5) though the due date for payment mentioned in this "Statement" (i.e., 29 August 2001) comes before and not after the date of the "Statement" itself, this "Statement" nevertheless claims that I owe your organization the sum of $4,4410.00 for the "Project" denoted "Web site / Asger Jorn."
Before I take this rather unusual "Statement" to the New York State Better Business Bureau, the various other City and State agencies that cover such matters, and the art magazines and other media outlets that might be interested in it, I want to know if you have anything to say about this "Statement" now.
***You have until 5 pm Wed 10 October 2001 to respond.***
Most sincerely yours, Bill Brown
At 5:30 [sic] pm on 10 October 2001, Bill got this in response:
Re: www.notbored.org/jorn.html
Dear Mr. Brown,
This is in response to your email of today. Contrary to your statement, Asger Jorn is listed among our members on page 151 of our printed roster, and under the 'J' section of our web-site member list (www.arsny.com).
The invoice cited in our Statement was sent to you on July 30, 2001. It was preceded by an explanatory letter on July 24, 2001. A list of the 78 works to which it refers was also attached, and is to be found on your own web-site.
As was mentioned in our letter of July 24, to which there has been no reply, if you wish to request authorization from the estate to show the works, you may submit a formal request for this purpose.
Sincerely, Dr. Theodore H. Feder, President
(by Janet Hicks)
Bill's response was short and sweet:
The rather convenient "explanatory letter" of which you speak is an obvious fiction.
In any event, here's the answer to the question you say was posed by it:
You can kiss my ass, that is, if and only if you have submitted the requisite forms required for authorization.
Sincerely yours
Subcommandante Bill Not Bored
23rd Airborne Division, Copyright Liberation Brigade
Bill also sent the ARS a fake check (designed by Spike) for $4,410 dollars drawn on an account at the Dada Bank of New York. We'll see what happens now.
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