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Poster Boy

By Intellectual Property Law, Esq.

In this morning's New York Times, Randy Kennedy has an interesting story on the arrest of "Poster Boy" -- the street artist who has "made his outlaw presence known all over the city by cutting and pasting the images that are already [in the subway system] in the form of ads."

Poster Boy is also a legal philosopher: "'Socially, I?d like people to understand that there is a difference between what is right and what is just,' he said. 'If there is a law that is outdated, impractical, and/or immoral, people should have the right to challenge it. Remember, slavery was considered legal at one point. I consider the world?s current modus operandi a modern slave system. I intend to challenge it in any way I can.'"

Lawprof Ann Althouse isn't buying it: "Basically, it's collage with other people's property. Obviously, it's criminal to destroy the advertisements businesses have paid for ? paid the city, by the way, so the citizens who are entertained should see that they are in fact being forced to pay for the entertainment."

Full post as published by The Art Law Blog on February 04, 2009 (boomark / email).