The image of Barack Obama made ubiquitous by Shepard Fairey‘s “Hope” poster looked especially
familiar to The Associated Press, which says the artwork infringes on its copyright to a photograph of the president, The A.P. reported. Mr.
Fairey has previously acknowledged that his poster, a mixed-media stenciled collage depicting Mr. Obama on a red, white and blue field, is based on an A.P. photograph taken by Mannie Garcia in April 2006. The A.P.
said in a statement that any use of the image requires its
permission, and it is seeking credit and compensation for its use in Mr. Fairey’s works; a lawyer for Mr. Fairey told The A.P. that the artist
was protected by fair-use standards. In January, The National Portrait Gallery in Washington added Mr. Fairey’s poster to its collection.
BONUS: Tom Gralish, a photographer and blogger at The Philadelphia Inquirer, shows how the “Hope” poster makes use of an Associated Press photo (and not a Reuters photo, as some believed).
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