For some, in a biblical frame of mind, it looks like a capitalist Goliath picking on an artistic David. Maybe it is. It's up to each of us to review the facts. The etoy are a group of artists formed in 1994 in Europe.
Names are important to artists.
The name etoy was first used by the artists in October 1994. A consequence of this work of web performance art was etoy's selection to be the winner of the 1996 Golden Nica award given by the Ars Electronica organization. It should be pointed out that not all of the digital-intelligentsia digs etoy's aesthetics. An observer of their performance at the 1996 Ars Electronica festival thought the etoy concept too arrogant. But etoy seems to be about more than just digital public relations.