Supreme Court Rules Andy Warhol’s Image of Prince Breaches Copyright Laws

WSJ ^ | 5/16/23 | Jess Bravin

[DallasBiff]

Andy Warhol received a magazine commission to create a portrait addressed by Thursday’s Supreme Court decision. Photo: Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images"/>

[DallasBiff]

I don't know to think of this, Prince was a public figure, and Warhol had every right to photograph him.

As an anecdote my mother grew up on the same street and they were called the Warhollas on the McKeesport PA street.

My mom would say Andy was a "sissy"

[Secret Agent Man]

Yep I agree

[Openurmind]

I’ll say the same thing here as on the other one.

This kind of garbage is why SCOTUS is “too busy” to see 1st and 2nd amendment cases???

[DesertRhino]

Sounds like Andy Warhol did not take the photo. He improperly used a photo taken by another photographer. So basically, he stole somebody else’s work.

[Fireone]

Prince & George Floyd
Name two overrated, deceased, drug addicts from Minnesota, who are worshipped nation wide, by a bunch of misfits.

[JennysCool]

Most brainless, ridiculous post of the year. There is no comparison between the two.

[avenir]

Was this the case regarding what constitutes a “transformative work”?

[Revel]

If the Supreme courts was really Supreme then all rulings would be 9-0.

These days their rulings are really not much different than throwing dice.

[KarlInOhio]

The painting was from 39 years ago and Warhol died 36 years ago. Is this an episode of Supreme Court: Cold Case Files?

[Telepathic Intruder]

Don’t upset the worshippers. That said, include Michael Jackson and pedophile.

[Drew68]

This kind of garbage is why SCOTUS is “too busy” to see 1st and 2nd amendment cases???

Other than the rightfully-decided Dobbs case (which has turned into a GOTV bonanza for the Democrats) I'm still waiting to be impressed by our "conservative supermajority" Supreme Court.

[Openurmind]

They were Trojan Horses. They are Globalists with an R.

[nicollo]

Prince & George Floyd. Name two overrated, deceased, drug addicts from Minnesota, who are worshipped nation wide, by a bunch of misfits.

I suppose we could add Judy Garland to the list, at least as concerns drugs. Then there's Bob Dylan for overrated Minnesotans, although he has managed to avoid the overdose, unlike the man who turned a couple of his songs into actual music...

As far as Saint George goes, I think we could blame Warhol for the horrible genre of artwork used to celebrate him.

[Drew68]

They were Trojan Horses. They are Globalists with an R.

The way they've been dodging 2A cases, I'm not so sure I actually want them to rule on one.

[Jeff Chandler]

I think Bob Dylan, in spite of being cursed with an unfortunate voice, is an excellent songwriter -- a true craftsman. I can think of other such singer songwriters: Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, JJ Cale, etc.

[vladimir998]

“There is no comparison between the two.”

But the comparison was made.

[Steven Scharf]

Sounds like Andy Warhol did not take the photo. He improperly used a photo taken by another photographer. So basically, he stole somebody else’s work.

If you read an article on reputable non pay site, you would learn that your analysis is incorrect. Back in 1984 he used the photographer’s photo as a base for a purple painting of Prince. Vanity Fair paid the photograher a $450 user fee for use of the photo on which the painting is based on the cover. Andy died in 1987. In 2016, when Prince died, Vanity Fair used another version of the painting in Orrange on it’s cover for which it paid the Andy Wharhol Foundation about $10,000 to use. It is that painting that the photographer sued for unfair use.

I have not read the decision so other than stating the facts of the case, I have no opinion.

Interstingly, Sotomayer and Kagan wrote the majority and disenting opinions.

Lesson learned for future artists, if you are going to base a painting on a photograph, that that photo youself.

[Right_Wing_Madman]

This kind of garbage is why SCOTUS is “too busy” to see 1st and 2nd amendment cases???

This was an interesting copyright case and its implications will be relevant in the digital age. I think the Supremes made the right decision here. The photographer's original work should be protected.

[nicollo]

Although I don’t care for Dylan, I recognize his songwriting. But I was just going w/ the Minnesota theme from a prior post.

[Jeff Chandler]

Dylan was from MN? I did not know that. (I am celebrity illiterate.)