Zimmerman tries to profit from Trayvon Martin slaying with painting; AP demands halt to sale

AP via Johnson City Press ^ | January 24, 2014

[don-o]

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Associated Press has demanded that George Zimmerman halt the sale of one of his paintings because the news agency says it directly copies an AP photo.

[don-o]

Here's the reason that AP images may not be posted on FR.

[scrabblehack]

How many pixels in a picture have to be different before there is no infringement?

[Diogenesis]

He should countersue them
for their knowingly-false abominable “reports”
of “news” -— which were libel against him.

[don-o]

Good question. They would have to prove that it indeed their copyright image.

[don-o]

iirc, he is suing several media. AP should be on the list.

The pic shown at the source looks more like a computer generated rendition of the photo that an actual painting.

[zencycler]

Here is how to thoroughly refute the AP’s case against GZ:

The picture that the AP took was done at a public appearance, with many other people both watching and taking pictures or videos.

For example, Ms. Corey’s exact same expression can be found at about the 1:19 mark on this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UskHmQ5DHw

So even putting aside any other defenses (fair use, etc).. The AP’s copyright cannot extend to any use of that particular pose, since at this event it was simultaneously being captured and used by many other media sources on film and video.

Therefore, the ONLY thing that can be protected by the use of that copyright is the duplication and use of that EXACT picture

[Vaquero]

My Sweet Lord-He’s so fine. Nuff said

[zencycler]

Or to put it another way, I’m sure that some AP photographer somewhere has taken a picture of Mount Rushmore. So if I stand in the same spot where the photographer was when he snapped that photo, and I paint what I see, am I violating his copyright?

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Zimmerman just painted her, in a symbolic representation, without her makeup.

If I were that guy, I'd change my name to Jorge Carpintero and move to Sedona.

[mosesdapoet]

I’m sick of the AP whoring itself to advance commie bs. Covering Obama and his misuse of the “Bully Pulpit” to divide this country. Not “sourcing” publication but did this AP story have a by-line ? Who wrote this diatribe ?

[don-o]

No byline.

[JoeProBono]

[Bringbackthedraft]

Zimmerman tries to profit from Trayvon Martin slaying............................... Like Sybrina Fulton??? Maybe George should trade mark his name too?

[Jack Hydrazine]

All the Zimmeister has to do is declare painting a parody and he’s covered.

[SoFloFreeper]

Did they sue that punk who made the “Hope” image of the Clown?

[SoFloFreeper]

Why can’t he just say it is a PARODY of their image, like satirists do with songs...or like costume shops do with “purple dinosaur” outfits (so they don’t have to pay “Barney” copyright fees)?

[SoFloFreeper]

beat my question by two posts. :) congrats.

[Jim Noble]

I’m surprised he doesn’t have a signature model LC9.

[nvscanman]

George Zimmerman was handed a buttload of lemons by the
state and feds. Nice to see him making lemonade. He needs
to countersue AP for malicious conduct and threats.
The image he is selling is not a copy by ANY definition
of the word. It’s an original work based on an image that
AP published for the world to see. This is just more
persecution by the media at the behest of Holder and the rest of the criminals in Washington. He needs to sue the
living bejeebers out of AP.

[runfree]

My understanding was that you can create a painting of anything and the original painting does not violate a copyright. You only get in trouble if you mass produce copies. Zimmerman’s painting looks like enough of a departure from the original image that he shouldn’t have a problem anyway...shades of Warhol.