Obama "Hope" poster copyright case settled

Washington, Jan 13(ANI): An artist behind the iconic Barack Obama "Hope" poster and American news agency Associated Press (AP) have agreed to settle their copyright infringement claims.

The case relates to a picture of the US President taken in 2006 taken by American freelance photojournalist Mannie Garcia for the AP.

New York-based artist Shepard Fairey had used the photo when he created his "Hope" artwork during Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

The AP sued Fairey in 2009, seeking compensation for violating the image's copyright.

In response, Fairey sued the news agency for a declaratory judgment that his poster was a fair use of the original photograph.

According to the BBC, as part of the deal, Fairey has now agreed not to use another AP photo in his work without first obtaining a licence.

The deal also calls for both sides to work together with the image and share future rights to merchandise based on it. (ANI)