Sleep Token‘s management has reportedly retracted a copyright claim that led to a tattoo artist’s business Instagram account being taken down earlier this week.
The decision followed a massive wave of online backlash after Sheffield-based artist Emily Jayne claimed her account had been removed for posting tattoo designs inspired by the band.
In a detailed post shared to a newly-created account, Jayne explained that her work has always drawn inspiration from music, and said her Sleep Token designs had helped her grow her client base across the UK and Canada.
“Sadly, today, my main account was wrongfully taken down by Sleep Token’s team Rico Management for copyright infringement,” she wrote. “My designs are heavily inspired by the band or a tribute to them and the fans, all of which are my own designs that I’ve worked hours and hours to design and get out into the world.”
“I worry that this abuse of power will become worse and more widespread, attacking smaller businesses and creativity. I know a lot of cosplaying and fan accounts have also been taken down previously,” she wrote.
last week i did another Sleep Token tattoo
designing this was so much fun! thank you Alex for sitting for well for her FIRST tattoo i’ll post a tiktok progress vid soon! pic.twitter.com/NTDk81c8W0
— ♡ 𝑒𝒿 ♡ (@InkItEJ) September 18, 2025
“Again, this is abuse of power to not only small businesses with fair use laws, but awful for fans in general.”
Her post quickly spread across social media, with many criticising Rico Management and Sleep Token’s label, RCA Records, for overreaching, with some calling in the industry calling the move “terrifying” for independent artists.
Within days, Rico Management reversed its decision after reportedly consulting with the band.
On Saturday (October 11), Jayne shared the email she received from Sleep Token’s management team (Rico) to social media on October 11, which read: “We have spoken with our client, and because of how this negatively affected your account, they have requested that we retract our claim against your account.”
“Please note that several posts on different platforms were reported and may still be removed as a result of earlier submissions. If that happens, rest assured we will address each instance as it arises.”
Despite the retraction, Jayne isn’t sure she’ll get her original account back, sharing with fans (via Blunt Magazine): “Got an email for Sle*p Tok*n’s [Sleep Token’s] team (yes their name is being censored since I’m on their hit list) and it looks like bad publicity on social media and in the press got them a bit scared,” she wrote.
“Even if I don’t get my old account back, this is still a mini victory!”
NME has reached out to Sleep Token’s management for comment.
The backlash triggered a wider conversation about copyright enforcement in fan spaces, where musicians’ imagery often inspires designs on homage to an artist. Other examples of Rico or RCA taking action against Sleep Token fans for alleged copyright infringement have emerged on Reddit and other social media.
This has been coupled by chatter about Rico – not RCA – being “a scam company”. There are posts on social media going back years which allege they are a third party trademark and copyright infringement company who are supposedly well known for being “extremely aggressive in filing DMCAs – even when the artist involved is fine with the content being shared”.
Likewise, many fans took to the comments section of Jayne’s post to make the distinction between the band’s label RCA and Rico.
Elsewhere, the masked metallers are currently out on their US arena tour and also made headlines when they stopped off at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena in September 24 and played a haunting version of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’.
The band released their fourth studio album ‘Even In Arcadia’ in May, which earned a glowing five-star review from NME. “‘Even In Arcadia’ shatters any pressure of expectation into oblivion, building on the bravery of its predecessor, sonically, while its lyrics reveal the most exposed version of Vessel we’ve seen yet. From Eden to Arcadia – and beyond – let the worship continue,” the review read.
The record has since been named as one of NME‘s best albums of 2025 so far. Sleep Token scored their first UK Number One album with the project (via Official Charts), with ‘Caramel’ earning them their first-ever UK top 10 single.
The post Sleep Token accused of shutting down tattoo artist’s Instagram business account appeared first on NME.
