Andy Warhol’s Prince Image Brings Question of What Is Unique Art to Supreme Court
- Did pop artist violate copyright while creating iconic images?
- Entertainment industry says its book, music copyrights at risk
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Andy Warhol once said “Art is what you can get away with.” Now a legal fight surrounding his prints of Prince threatens to upend the world of pop art as well as music, books and videos.
In a fight that has outlived both men, the US Supreme Court will consider whether Warhol was within his rights to create 16 images of the musician in 1984 using a copyrighted photograph of the musician. The case could reshape the fair-use defense to copyright infringement for follow-on works, affecting music, videos and books, as well as Warhol’s iconic art.