MOUNDSVILLE - Patrick Tribett's gold-faced image has gained worldwide notoriety, making an appearance on a billboard in Europe and also on T-shirts, and coffee mugs and other items.
Now, Tribett and his attorney, New Martinsville resident H. John Rogers, are suing several companies for illegally profiting from his image.
Rogers said he is preparing lawsuits against Amazon.com, Getty Images, Hot Toys Ltd. of China and Cafe Press Corps of California. The attorney said each of those companies used Tribett's image without his consent and for financial gain.
Rogers said one of those companies, Cafe Press, stopped selling T-shirts bearing Tribett's image after Rogers sent them a cease and desist letter.
"That image has run on billboards in Europe," Rogers said. "They took a mugshot and used it for their own financial gain. I sent (Cafe Press) a letter, and they pulled a lot of (merchandise bearing Tribett's image) off the Internet. There definitely will be a lawsuit filed, and it will be filed in the Northern District of West Virginia."
Tribett received national publicity in 2005 after being arrested by the Bellaire Police Department.
He was intoxicated while purchasing gold spray paint in a village business and placed under arrest, but it was his mugshot that earned him a certain level of fame. The lower half of his face was covered in gold paint from inhaling the toxins.
Rogers said Tribett has been sober for the past eight weeks. He said his client has made an amazing turnaround.