Comments on: It’s on: AP sues designer of creepily iconic Obama poster for copyright infringement

By: It’s on: AP sues designer of creepily iconic Obama poster for copyright infringement — But As For Me

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:20:24 +0000

[...] You can thank this guy, I think, for having solved the mystery of provenance. [...] Read the rest » [...]

By: silenced majority

silenced majority — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:15:45 +0000

It’s from an actual photo?, I always thought the iconic image was from a clothe the Messiah pressed to his face, kinda like the Shroud of Turin.

By: CynicalOptimist

CynicalOptimist — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:11:15 +0000

The thing is he looks kind of clueless in the photo….

By: The AP Sues Obama Propoganda Poster Artist

The AP Sues Obama Propoganda Poster Artist — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:24:51 +0000

The AP Sues Obama Propoganda Poster Artist…

But only after the election. The AP claims copyright infringement….

By: Vashta.Nerada

Vashta.Nerada — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:17:36 +0000

I think the estate of Josef Stalin has standing in this case as well.

By: PJ Emeritus

PJ Emeritus — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:50:14 +0000

USA Network is “honoring” Fairey in one of their insipid “Character Approved” commercials.

In part of it, they are in Fairye’s studio. ALL of his “artwork” is bascially this same sort of crap. Something a first-year graphic arts student (specaking as a graphic arts professional) would receive a less than passing grade for – he’s a hack.

By: oldleprechaun

oldleprechaun — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:14:56 +0000

arteest on February 5, 2009 at 1:04 AM

“http://www.art-for-a-change.com/Obey/index.htm” was an interesting read. Especially the comment that there is no evidence that this “artist” is even capable of basic drawing. I loved the observation that his work “…indicate(s) an over reliance on borrowing the design work of others.” (Can you say “plagiarizer”?)

Typical liberal.

By: DCJeff

DCJeff — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:10:02 +0000

BTW I couldn’t tell you if it’s the same picture or not since I can’t stand to look at the one’s image for more than a second…which make’s living in Moscow West pretty hard since we even have murals of him painted on the side of buildings now.

By: DCJeff

DCJeff — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:05:39 +0000

Obvious infringement…Bob Owens is right…Fairey should lose this one. You cannot take someone else’s photograph; alter it, and make a profit from it. Sure, it happens all the time but only because litigation isn’t pursued. You don’t need model releases from photographs of politicians to sell them but the AP owns this picture and not Fairey. I’m not a fan of the AP but I am a photographer and I can tell you it really sucks when people steal your work…that is until they have to pay you.

By: tarpon

tarpon — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:59:17 +0000

I bet everyone under 40 is trying to figure out who the Soviets were. And why they were so great. And how did they ever dream up such neat pictures and color schemes.

Communists killed about 125 million people in the 20th century, when the freebies ran out. A record to be proud of. Just remember, the warning bell is when the freebies runs out.

By: Anton

Anton — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:54:08 +0000

Rock on, “rebel” establishment hagiographer!

Heh. Nice turn of a snarky phrase, as usual. If HotAir goes to a subscription model, sign me up.

By: petefrt

petefrt — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:44:44 +0000

Heh, dirty little secret is they all stole the iconic image from The People's Cube.

By: BadgerHawk

BadgerHawk — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:31:08 +0000

Just changing the color obviously isn’t enough.

dinobalz on February 5, 2009 at 8:08 AM

Lol.

By: BadgerHawk

BadgerHawk — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:30:34 +0000

The USA Netowrk featured Fairey during a commercial break as being ‘character approved’, during, I think, an episode of Monk.

Big rebel, doing spots on USA.

By: locomotivebreath1901

locomotivebreath1901 — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:23:55 +0000

The Associated (with terrorists) Press may win or may loose this lawsuit. It depends on whose big bucks can keep the high powered guns in the saddle the longest. Or, the rare concept of actual judicial pronouncement between right and wrong may take place, in which case, Allah P gave the majority decision. Either way, it's more evidence that the glow has dimmed from The One's halo. (although the sycophants will never admit it)

By: dinobalz

dinobalz — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:08:34 +0000

That's why I always change the perspective on an image if I'm going to steal it. ;) Just changing the color obviously isn't enough.

By: Ann NY

Ann NY — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:48:07 +0000

I think the “creepily iconic Obama poster” also borrows from the style of the old Soviet propaganda posters.

If by borrow, you mean outright steal, then yeah. Leftist artists LOVE the Soviet imagery. I find it oppressive myself, but that’s probably the point.

By: Kevin K.

Kevin K. — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:55:35 +0000

It’s not the same photo is my opinion.They look close but have subtle differences.

NeoKong on February 4, 2009 at 9:26 PM

It looks that way to me as well. Head’s at a slightly different angle, and the facial expression is a little different.

By: albill

albill — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:41:36 +0000

Soooo why didn’t AP start this legal action during the campaign, but waited until after Obama was elected?

If they would have started it during the campaign there could have been a court order to remove all these posters. Would that have mattered in the election? Who knows, but the symbolism of the poster (that helped Obama) would have been gone.

By: gzelmiami

gzelmiami — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:01:29 +0000

Bishop on February 4, 2009 at 9:34 PM

I know I was forewarned,
but you made me barf on my keyboard.(I got some on my monitor and my desk also!)

By: Ugly

Ugly — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:19:22 +0000

HotWeaver on February 5, 2009 at 1:08 AM

A circus mixed with an episode of Seinfeld mixed with Bizzaro World

By: Mr. Joe

Mr. Joe — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:17:02 +0000

Al Gore is trying to take over your children Seriously this is way creepy. H/T to Glenn Beck and one of his alert callers!

By: SouthernGent

SouthernGent — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:16:34 +0000

How about properly vetting him, AP? Huh? What about that?

By: HotWeaver

HotWeaver — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:08:25 +0000

Obama lawyers were trying to restrict people who profit from Obama. If Obama sues both of them, and they countersue… is it a reality show or a situation comedy?

By: arteest

arteest — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:04:37 +0000

Fairey is a hypocritical thief. His ‘counter-culture’ art is plastered all over products sold in upscale stores. He stole his entire idea of the ‘obey’ posters from the movie ‘They Live’. Even his own Wikipedia article lists the complaints about his incessant stealing of minority artist’s works from the 60′s to churn out more ‘underground’ shirt designs that are sold at Nordstrom’s. Read this article for some laughs:

http://www.art-for-a-change.com/Obey/index.htm

He is one conflicted capitalist.

After all that, he has the nerve to sue a guy for taking Fairey’s Obama image and making a shirt that says ‘Dope’.