Obama poster dispute between artist and The Associated Press set for March trial in NYC
By APMonday, August 23, 2010
Trial date set in AP-artist dispute in NYC
NEW YORK — A judge has set a March trial to decide whether the artist who created the Barack Obama “HOPE” image violated The Associated Press’ copyright when he based the image on one of the news agency’s pictures.
Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein said Monday that the selection of eight jurors will begin March 21 in New York.
He set aside three weeks to decide whether artist Shepard Fairey acted legally when he created the image from a picture taken by a photographer for the AP in 2006.
Fairey sat with his lawyers during Monday’s proceeding but declined to comment afterward. He sued the AP last year, arguing that his artwork during Obama’s 2008 run for the presidency did not violate AP’s copyrights. The news cooperative countersued, saying it did.
