Legal row could force mystery artist Banksy to reveal his real name

Probably because they knew they could have it validated or invalidated for a small fee. The article explains this.

So Banksy’s company broke contract? It will go to court and Banksy will have to pay losses… all $50 of it

Like many things in the art world, there’s a whole lot of hot air being moved about in this story.

Like you, I don’t follow the logical leap that would force Pest Control to reveal Banksy’s real name just because they’re not authenticating a specific print of a work.

Then there’s also an out-of-left-field slam about how the valuation of some Banksy pieces has dropped tenfold in the last few years, almost hinting at the fact that it’s somehow Banksy or Pest Control’s fault? I’m sure inflation, Brexit and the pandemic had nothing to do with the devaluation of massively overpriced art in the first place.

He should just tag their house and call it even.