The now-iconic photo of Obama as Joker can no longer be found on Flickr, as the site has removed it citing “copyright infringement concerns.” Originally created by 20-year-old Chicago college student Firas Alkhateeb, the image has sat on the site for several months, amassing some 20,000 hits by the time it was pulled.
Ironically, Alkhateeb never intended for the picture to become political. Instead, it was merely a experiment with PhotoShop that he later uploaded to his Flickr account, based on a tutorial on how to “jokerize” photos. While on Flickr someone found the photo, revised it and added it to posters that began to appear around Los Angeles earlier this summer.
The original version (pictured above) was modeled off of an actual Time magazine cover. The version which has made it on to the now-infamous “Socialism” posters has obviously been doctored to remove Time’s branding.
Flickr is being rather tight-lipped about why it deleted the image, citing policies that prevent it from discussing actions taken against individual users. But it isn’t the first time anti-Obama commentary has been flushed by the site.
The account of a man named Shepherd Johnson was deleted in June after he had made several critical comments on the photostream of the President. Again, no real explanation from the site.
Critics are quick to point out that a good deal of anti-Bush media remains on the site. That’s a fair criticism. Why is that allowed to stay while anti-Obama material is apparently taboo?
While I can see Flickr’s possible argument that Alkhateeb had no rights to the image as it is a copyrighted work, there is some argument to be made that this is “fair use” under the parody clause. While you or I may not agree with the portrayal of our President in this manner, in the end the guy has a right to exercise his creative license.
Flickr should explain itself, and not lean on its policies as a crutch. Staying quiet only adds to the argument that the site is in the Administration’s pocket since the government itself is making heavy use of Flickr as of late.
Best thing about this whole deal? Alkhateeb says he is surprised his image is being used on the socialism posters, calling it “immature.”
(Hat tip: Top of the Ticket, others)
#1 by CLM on August 20, 2009 - 4:09 am
I’ve always been slightly annoyed by the “we can’t discuss x because it deals with an individual” policy companies seem to run behind. I understand and agree with it in theory, but it always comes off as, “Oh, we’d love to comment, but we can’t in order to protect the individual.” I wonder what would happen if an individual came out and said, “Please, do continue. I’d like the hear this too…”