“To those who steal culture, you have been warned.”

Detroit techno collective Underground Resistance have accused Dutch producer and DJ Armin van Buuren of plagiarizing their name and logo for his new Ibiza residency.

The flyer for U R With Armin van Buuren features the trance veteran alongside a “UR” logo that looks a lot like the one that’s been used by Underground Resistance for over two decades.

U R With Armin van Buuren flyer

 

Underground Resistance logo

“Is there no shame? What happened to electronic creativity? What the fuck is it all about the money??,” Underground Resistance wrote on Facebook. “To ‘those who know’ MOVE TO CONDITION RED!! To those who steal culture, you have been warned”.

“There’s no excuse for this,” UR label manager Cornelius Harris told RA in a statement. “It’s lazy and irresponsible of the artist AND promoter. I’m all for folks having fun regardless of the style of music, but that can be done without trying to exploit the years of work that another artist has put in for your own benefit.

“Van Buuren offers no explanation for it, simply calling U R ‘my new concept’ and leaving it at that. Sorry man, no fucking way.”

Update, May 22, 10:45 EST: Van Buren denies being aware of any similarities.

In a statement sent to FACT, van Buuren has denied being aware of any similarities to the Underground Resistance logo and said that he intends to adjust it to avoid confusion – though the party’s name will remain.

“I would like to start off by saying how unfortunate and unpleasant this situation is for everyone involved,” van Buuren said. “My team, the team of Hï/Ushuaïa and myself were not aware of the similarities between our logo and the logo of Underground Resistance.

“Originally, UR – the name of the new event through which I’ll perform in Ibiza every week – is derived from Universal Religion, an older but nonetheless known Armin van Buuren concept. The logo, which consists of a custom-made font and frame, was designed to conform with the Armin van Buuren brand.

“After careful deliberation, my team, the team of Hï/Ushuaïa and myself have decided to keep the name UR as it is and adjust the symbol. I trust that media, fans and Underground Resistance will be able to understand this decision.”

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