Can Artists Grab Copyrighted Images From Google Without Permission?

Two California artists certainly believe so. According to Wired Magazine, the artistic duo, who go by the name Simmons & Burke, “googled the web, scoured fan forums and browsed Flickr accounts to round up 5,000 images for a single collage. … The digital artists, who incorporate themes of appropriation in some of their work, do not notify site operators when they grab images for use in their collages, regardless of whether the images are protected by copyright.” Hmmm.

Copyright is certainly one concern, but what about trademark, or rights or privacy? Something tells me this may not be the last we hear from this edgy duo and their legal concerns. What do you think? Via Wired Magazine.

Tags: appropriation, art, downloading, fair use, images, intellectual property, piracy, right of privacy