Copyright vs Copywrong

Copyright law is complicated, especially when it comes to visual art. So there was a lot of fanfare around the Supreme Court’s May ruling involving a celebrity portrait photographer, the pop artist Andy Warhol, and an orange silk screen of the late musician Prince. Would the decision give us some clarity around what’s ‘infringing’ in the world of appropriation art? Lauryn Guttenplan, former deputy general counsel for the Smithsonian, walks us through some high-profile copyright cases from the past, as well as the Supreme Court’s decision. See the artwork we discussed: Obama “Hope” Portrait by Shepard Fairey, original photo by Mannie Garcia “Canal Zone” Collage by Richard Prince, original photo by Patrick Cariou “Orange Prince” by Andy Warhol Prince Portrait by Lynn Goldsmith