At the moment there is a court case in the U.S. about the copyrights on the world famous ‘HOPE' and ‘PROGRESS’-campaign posters of Barack Obama. Shepard Fairey, the designer of the posters, based his design on a (anonymous) photograph he took from the Internet. As he later found out this picture was made by Mannie Garcia during a meeting about Darfur in April 2006. Right now Fairey, the freelancer Gracia and his principal the Associated Press are fighting each other over copyrights. The main issues are: has Fairy infringed the copyright on the photograph by using it for his design? And if this is the case, who owns the copyright on the photograph, Garcia or Associated Press?
This is of course an American case and American law is most likely applicable. But if something like this would happen in the Netherlands with a Dutch photographer, he would probably have a pretty good case. Even if the copyrights would have been transferred to Associated Press – which can only be done in writing -, the photographer could probably argue that he still has his moral rights. Moral rights can not be transferred. Based on these rights he might be able to object to the fact that the photograph has been edited and published without mentioning his name.
Funny detail is that the picture was taken almost by accident. Garcia was at the meeting to take a photograph of George Clooney (at the time Obama was still a senator). This is probably the reason why the parties concerned did not settle the copyrights at the time. A shame of course because the interests of the parties concerned are now huge: for example the posters have been sold through Obamas campaign website and also in Chelsea in a limited edition of 200 for about 1200 dollar each.
Maud van der Leeuw
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At the moment there is a court case in the U.S. about the copyrights on the world famous ‘HOPE' and ‘PROGRESS’-campaign posters of Barack Obama. Shepard Fairey, the designer of the posters, based his design on a (anonymous) photograph he took from the Internet. As he later found out this picture was made by Mannie Garcia during a meeting about Darfur in April 2006. Right now Fairey, the freelancer Gracia and his principal the Associated Press are fighting each other over copyrights. The main issues are: has Fairy infringed the copyright on the photograph by using it for his design? And if this is the case, who owns the copyright on the photograph, Garcia or Associated Press?
This is of course an American case and American law is most likely applicable. But if something like this would happen in the Netherlands with a Dutch photographer, he would probably have a pretty good case. Even if the copyrights would have been transferred to Associated Press – which can only be done in writing -, the photographer could probably argue that he still has his moral rights. Moral rights can not be transferred. Based on these rights he might be able to object to the fact that the photograph has been edited and published without mentioning his name.
Funny detail is that the picture was taken almost by accident. Garcia was at the meeting to take a photograph of George Clooney (at the time Obama was still a senator). This is probably the reason why the parties concerned did not settle the copyrights at the time. A shame of course because the interests of the parties concerned are now huge: for example the posters have been sold through Obamas campaign website and also in Chelsea in a limited edition of 200 for about 1200 dollar each.
Maud van der Leeuw