Aussie business threatened with legal action over clothing featuring viral TikTok star

Fleetwood Mac-singing TikTok sensation Nathan Apodaca is reportedly suing Aussie clothing brand Culture Kings for using his image on shirts without his permission.

US celebrity news publication TMZ first reported the story, saying it has seen a takedown notice sent by Apodaca’s lawyer to Culture Kings.

The notice apparently says Apodaca owns the rights to the image on the shirt, and threatens a lawsuit if the Aussie brand doesn’t pull the line.

The image in question is reportedly a still taken from the original viral video on Apodaca’s TikTok account, where he goes by the user name @420doggface208.

Culture Kings had not responded to a request for comment. But, the shirt is no longer available on the brand’s online store.

All of this follows Apodaca’s swift rise to social media fame, after a TikTok video of him riding a skateboard down a US highway while drinking cran-raspberry juice and lip-syncing to Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams went viral.

@420doggface208Morning vibe ##420souljahz ##ec ##feelinggood ##h2o ##cloud9 ##happyhippie ##worldpeace ##king ##peaceup ##merch ##tacos ##waterislife ##high ##morning ##710 ##cloud9♬ Dreams (2004 Remaster) – Fleetwood Mac

The video has now had more than 52 million views.

It also sparked Mick Fleetwood himself to join TikTok and recreate the video.

Fleetwood has also thanked Apodaca both for bringing a little joy to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for reviving interest in the song.

First released in 1977, the song is now back in the charts in the US and Australia.

@mickfleetwood@420doggface208 had it right. Dreams and Cranberry just hits different. ##Dreams ##CranberryDreams ##FleetwoodMac♬ Dreams (2004 Remaster) – Fleetwood Mac

Apodaca’s own line of Doggface clothing apparently earned him more than US$30,000 in profit in its first five days.

As an aside, Ocean Spray — purveyor of the juice Apodaca is swigging in the video — has gifted him a brand new truck and a whole lot more juice to keep him going.

Of course, Ocean Spray chief executive Tom Hayes then released his own version of the video, which has itself been seen 2.9 million times.

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