GTA-themed supermarket opens in Lviv (still unclear if developer permitted it or not)

On October 31, 2020, the supermarket chain Silpo (part of Fozzy Group) opened a store in the style of the famous computer game GTA in Lviv, in the Ocean shopping mall, which stands in Volodymyra Velykoho str. The design incorporates recognizable characters and arts from the game, as well as a similar font. But the situation with the copyright remains unclear.

In an official press release, the company says that the store is designed in the style of Venice Beach in Los Angeles.

“From 8 am till 11 pm, scan the murals for hints referencing to legendary TV series and a computer game from the City of Angels, Easter eggs in graffiti…” says the release.

But, based upon the photos of the interior, these are neither hints nor Easter eggs – depicted on the store’s walls are the recognizable characters from various installments of the game: GTA San Andreas, GTA Vice City, GTA V. You can compare the supermarket images with arts from the game:

Even the font used in the design of the signboards resembles the signature typeface of the game’s logo, Pricedown.

Apart from that, the interior design is beach-themed: there are surfboards, pictures from Baywatch, graffiti, pastiches of beach cafes, etc.

The representatives of the chain have not given a straight answer to AIN.UA’s question about whether the use of the GTA style had been negotiated with the game developer, Rockstar Games. Silpo has explained that the main theme of the Lviv store’s design is beach style and the popular Venice Beach in Los Angeles.

Speaking about whether such decoration had been approved by Rockstar Games, the company commented,

“The activities of Silpo are based on legality, good faith and respect for the rights and legitimate interests of other economic entities […] in this case, as in all other cases, supports the process of negotiations with the copyrighters aiming to resolve the issue with the copyright usage,” the company’s press office answered.