Welcome back. We are here with the final installment of our series about copyright infringement. If you missed our previous blogs, visit back with them, here:
What is Infringement? | Lawyer in Raleigh NC
Today, we take a look at one last case where this situation was a problem. If you have questions, be sure to contact our lawyer in Raleigh NC for help.
Hope Poster
During the 2008 presidential election, artist Shephard Fairey created a poster of President Obama depicting his face in the shades of red, white and blue with the word “hope” across the bottom. It quickly became a symbol for Obama’s bid even though Fairey was not involved directly with the campaign. A year later someone discovered that the photo used in the artwork was taken by an Associated Press (AP) photographer. The AP wanted compensation for the work. Fairey argued it was protected under fair use. There was never a court case or verdict, but both parties settled privately and decided to split any profits made from the poster.
Fair use is mentioned in copyright infringement when the person using a work of art believes that he or she has not done anything wrong. Under fair use the use of a work that does not infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder is allowed. Examples of fair use, under the Copyright Act of 1976, can include use of works for the purpose of reporting, critiquing and teaching. An example would be taking a recording and transferring it to another form, such as an audio recording or braille copy, in order to use in education.
Eldreth Law Firm PC | Lawyer in Raleigh NC
Copyrighted works are protected so that others cannot use them in their own work, reproduce them, share them, or make alterations to them. For example, when an author copyrights his novel, poem, or other written work, he has the right protect that work and prevent others from using it or making changes to it. If that protection is violated, the infringer may be facing legal action and fines.
It's easy to make mistakes. Don't allow those mistakes to create problems for you in the future. Contact us for more information about our infringement services provided by our lawyer in Raleigh NC, and other services that may be of use to you or someone you know.
Visit other blogs in this series, below:
- What Is Copyright Infringement? Part One
- What Is Copyright Infringement? Part Two
- What Is Copyright Infringement? Part Three
- What Is Copyright Infringement? Part Four