Most graffiti artists also need to be talented enough to paint something resembling art by their own hands (e.g., Keith Haring’s works). Because Fairey could use a printing press, he had the luxury of plagiarizing other peoples' artwork, adding his own modifications, and printing that onto a sticker or poster.[12]
He became so criticized for plagiarism that he eventually began acknowledging his source art material in web or book descriptions[13], but is still criticized for refusing to pay royalties to the families of the artists from whom he steals.[14]
Even his Obama propaganda posters are just photographs painted over.
Yet if you or I did the same to his work, he'd swarm down on us with lawyers.