AP Files New Copyright Lawsuits Against Clothing Retailers

That’s right, it’s not over. The Associated Press is not done with Shepard Fairey and his Obey Clothing Company. The AP has also filed three new federal lawsuits against retail clothing giants Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom and Zumiez. The crux of the lawsuits is of course the now infamous Obama Hope poster image, which the AP alleges infringes on their copyright of an Obama photograph. The AP also alleges that it was Obey Clothing Company that supplied the three clothing giants with the clothing bearing the Obama Hope poster image.

The AP’s Paul Colford had this to say:

“When a commercial entity such as these retailers, or the company that sold the shirts to them, gets something for nothing by using an AP photo without credit or compensation, it undermines the AP’s ability to cover the news and devalues the work that our journalists do, often in dangerous locations where they may literally risk life and limb to cover a story[.]”

Something makes me think that Fairey regrets ever having created this poster. Nothing but a nightmare.

More here from Adweek.

Tags: contributory infringement, Copyright, fair use, piracy, theft