EXCLUSIVE: Not loving it. Furious family of famed graffiti artist Dash Snow accuses McDonald's of stealing his work and featuring it in graffiti-themed restaurants in the US and UK

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McDonald's has been accused of stealing the artwork of an acclaimed artist in its highly criticized graffiti-themed restaurants around the world, according to court documents.

The estate of New York-based graffiti artist Dash Snow - who died of a heroin overdose in 2009 when he was just 27 years old - is demanding that McDonald's remove his art and pay an undisclosed amount of damages for illegally profiting off his work.

Artwork featuring Snow's name and signature covers the walls of graffiti-themed McDonald's restaurants, which first appeared in London earlier this year, according to his estate.

The estate of graffiti artist Dash Snow (above wearing a mask to protect his face from the spray paint)  is demanding that McDonald's remove his art and pay damages for illegally profiting off his work

The McDonald's designs (left) is eerily similar to Snow's famous signature logo 'SACE' (pictured righ)

The estate - run by Jade Berreau, the mother of Snow's daughter - describes Snow as a highly acclaimed artist whose work has been featured in museums and galleries across the world, according to court papers exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.

His work has been sold for six-figure prices in auction houses including Christie's and Sotheby's.

The lawsuit says: 'Inexplicably, Defendants are using Mr. Snow's artwork as décor in hundreds of McDonald's restaurants, and are using his name and signature, in a manner suggesting that Mr. Snow created all the surrounding work (which adorns the entirety of McDonald's graffiti-themed restaurants).'

The estate accuses McDonald's of attempting to profit off Snow's name and reputation by replicating his work as part of the centerpiece of the themed restaurants.

'Indeed, Defendants singled out and spotlighted the display panels featuring Mr. Snow's work. Not only is Mr. Snow's artwork the largest and most prominent element on display, but it is also the only element "created" by a famous artist,' the suit states.

Snow (left, and right with his daughter), who died less than two weeks before his 28th birthday, was a prominent graffiti artist in the 1990s and 2000s

Jade Berreau (above, with Snow), the mother of Snow's daughter, is demanding a court order that will force McDonald's to remove all artwork from its restaurants as well as an undisclosed amount of damages

The suit, filed in a California court, adds: 'The remaining graphic elements are comprised of generic anonymous shapes and scribbles.'

Further, the estate claims that a representative for McDonald's admitted that stores featuring knockoff Snow artwork see greater customer traffic.

'Mr. Snow was mentioned by name in at least one such press article, under the false assumption (which resulted from Defendants' copying) that he authorized the use of his artwork and was therefore affiliated with and endorsed McDonald's,' the suit says. 

The estate, however, says that McDonald's exploitation of Snow is especially unfortunate because he avoided any association with corporate culture and mass-market consumerism. 

Snow also never made his art available in retail stores or restaurants.

'Nothing is more antithetical to Mr Snow's outsider "street cred" than association with corporate consumerism - of which McDonald's and it's marketing are the epitome,' the lawsuit states.

It continues: 'Mr. Snow is now open to charges of 'selling out'. And because McDonald's has established a terrible reputation in the art community by copying designs from other artists, Mr. Snow's perceived association with the restaurant chain has further diminished the value of Mr. Snow's work.'

McDonald's was highly criticized on social media when it unveiled graffiti-covered lampshades and walls at a restaurant in Brixton - a district of London - in March

Another Twitter user called out the fast food restaurant for using Snow's signature tag, SACE, in the Brixton restaurant

Snow's estate says that McDonald's exploitation of Snow is especially unfortunate because he avoided any association with corporate culture and mass-market consumerism

Snow's family demanded that McDonald's remove the artwork in June 2016, but the food chain has refused to comply.

The estate is demanding a court order that will force McDonald's to remove all artwork as well as damages for the harm they have done to Snow's legacy.

McDonald's was highly criticized when it unveiled graffiti-covered lampshades and walls at a restaurant in Brixton - a district of London - in March.

At the time, the redesign of the South London branch was described as 'inauthentic', 'offensive' and 'misguided'.

McDonald's said there was similar coverage about its Redhill, Surrey, store last October but the store saw a nine per cent uplift in sales in the six months after the redesign was introduced.

Snow, who died less than two weeks before his 28th birthday, was a prominent graffiti artist in the 1990s and 2000s. Much of his art featured stylized versions of his signature and logo, 'SACE'. 

His maternal grandmother is Christophe de Menil, a famed New York-based art collector and jewelry designer.

Christophe de Menil was briefly married to Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman - the father of actress Uma Thurman. 

Snow's maternal grandmother is Christophe de Menil, a famed New York-based art collector and jewelry designer