It seems that the legal feuds over the Obama "Hope" image rights have come to an end — or at least to a draw.
The Associated Press (AP) and artist Shepard Fairey have agreed to settle on the issue of whether Fairey violated copyright laws by altering an AP photo for a famous 2008 Obama campaign poster.
Although neither side came to terms over the appropriate copyright ownership, Fairey has agreed not to use another image for his work without obtaining a license from the AP first. On the other side, the AP has hired Fairey to collaborate on a series of images that will be created with the use of AP images.
AP photographer Mannie Garcia — the photographer who shot the original image of Obama and who filed his own suit against the AP in 2009 — withdrew his claim this past August, stating that he was "exhausted by the entire process and eager to get back to taking photos."
Obey Clothing, which had an indirect agreement with Fairey to create retail merchandise with the Obama image, was also pulled into the legal battle. The clothing company is scheduled to stand trial in March for the 233,800 pieces of merchandise that they sold featuring the controversial image. The AP claims that Obey has violated images rights for the use of the photo or the design.