Painter vs. Law: a Painting with no Copyright.

A man named Shepard Fairey painted a portrait of Obama. It looks cool. One signed portrait made thousands of dollars on ebay. It inspired many people to create signs. However, it was a version that looked just like a photo of Obama. He used it to look at while he painted it. You must have permission to use that photo. Unfortunately, he didn't, so he should be in a lot of trouble. The AP confirmed that they owned the copyright. Fairey disagrees. They're currently working out the problem hoping to find a good solution. "We believe fair use protects Shepard's right to do what he did here," says Fairey's attorney, Anthony Falzone. Maybe they can compromise, workout a deal. On Fairey's side, he isn't exactly copying it, and he could have not acknowledged it at all. It was nice of him to acknowledge them and he should get to continue although maybe he should pay part of it. Where do you stand?