Street artists, skateboarder named in graffiti lawsuit countersue

The targets of a surprising lawsuit filed by Old Fourth Ward residents tired of seeing their Edgewood Avenue home covered with graffiti and tags have fired back with their own legal action. Via Kristi Swartz:

Two of the city’s well-known street artists, a skateboard business and another person have struck back with legal claims of their own, in response to a multi-million dollar lawsuit against graffiti taggers. Greg Mike, Douglas Alexander Brewer, Stratosphere Skateboards and Grant Taylor say they had nothing to do with the graffiti tags that have colored two Old Fourth Ward buildings, according to documents recently filed in Fulton County State Court. What’s more, Mike and Brewer, both commissioned artists, say they don’t like being lumped in a lawsuit that primarily is going after a group of Grady High School students.

According to Swartz, Brewer wants Stan Mobley and Dave MacDonald, the plaintiffs in the original lawsuit, to pay his legal fees. Mike — who has his own version of what transpired when the Old Fourth Ward homeowners visited his Studioplex gallery — seeks the same plus punitive damages. Grant Taylor and Stratosphere Skateboards also seek punitive damages. More lawsuits related to graffiti on private property are expected — just as the city kicks off its controversial graffiti task force aimed at curbing vandalism.