The United States Supreme Court has ruled in favor of photographer Lynn Goldsmith after she sued the Warhol Foundation for copyright infringement.
The origin of the dispute stems from the fact that the late artist Andy Warhol created a series of paintings in 1984 based on a photograph taken by Goldsmith of musician Prince in 1981. Goldsmith argued that this constituted a violation of her copyright, while the lawyers for the Warhol Foundation contended that it fell under the category of “Fair use,” an American law that allows for certain reuse of copyrighted material.
The court’s decision is expected to have significant implications for future disputes involving artists, companies, and others who claim to rely on the “Fair use” doctrine when creating artworks, services, or other forms of expression. Above, you can find Goldsmith’s photograph of Prince as well as one of Warhol’s variations of it.
