EBay Pulls Art Item at Request of Condit
Lady Taker
It seems Condit thinks his "intellectual property rights" (????) were violated
by the artist and he got eBay to pull the artwork. Makes the mind boggle,
doesn't it?
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LA Times
EBay Pulls Art Item at Request of Condit
Internet: Congressman's office says his intellectual property rights were
violated in collage about intern's disappearance.
By DAVID STREITFELD, TIMES STAFF WRITER
Online auction house EBay Inc. said Wednesday that it had removed a piece of
art for sale about the disappearance of Chandra Levy because of a complaint by
Rep. Gary Condit (D-Ceres), who said it violated his intellectual property
rights.
"We were contacted by a representative from the congressman's office in
Washington. . . . He believed the item was 'a violation of the congressman's
right of publicity, based upon the use of his name or image,' " said EBay
spokesman Kevin Pursglove.
"To the best of my knowledge, this is first time any politician has asked for
and gotten an item pulled on EBay," Pursglove said. The work of art in
question, titled "Social, Artistic & Political Commentary #9," was created by
Terry Aley, a graphic designer and artist in Kansas. The collage includes
photos of Condit and missing intern Levy, whose disappearance has sparked
intense media coverage nationwide.
In the artwork, near the Condit photo is a cutout of an ax dripping blood.
Sprinkled around the montage are words such as "thou shall not be a hypocrite,"
"missing" and "The media is to Chandra what piranhas are to guppies."
"This is a satire, a parody of media frenzy," said Aley, 34. "They've said
[Condit] is not a suspect so many times that it sounds suspicious."
Aley created his "Commentary" in one brisk evening. Measuring 12 by 18 inches,
it had received two bids by the time the auction was pulled Monday. The highest
bid on EBay was $1.25. Aley hoped to get somewhat more--a couple of hundred
dollars.
The artist said he's mystified by the banishment of his work. "Considering CNN
and Fox are playing the [Levy] story over and over with every little detail
that emerges, I don't know why [Condit] would care about some artist in
Kansas," Aley said.
Levy, 25, vanished from her Washington apartment May 1, just before she was to
return home to Modesto after a federal internship. Condit this month reportedly
admitted to having an affair with Levy. Condit is expected to meet again soon
with FBI agents and District of Columbia police investigators.
Condit's spokeswoman, Marina Ein, said Wednesday night that she had no
knowledge of the complaint and could not comment on it.
Randy Groves, Condit's legislative director, who, according to EBay, contacted
the auction house, did not respond to a message left on his voicemail and
couldn't otherwise be reached.
Pursglove, the EBay spokesman, said the auction house does not generally pull
items for sale just because someone complains. The company instructed Groves
that he had to enroll Condit in its Verified Rights Owner program, which is
open to any person or organization that holds intellectual property rights.
Among the several thousand VeRO members are Microsoft, the Recording Industry
Assn. of America, Warner Bros. and Hard Rock Cafe.
Among items typically removed under the program are software, if the original
manufacturer believes it was pirated; movie trailers; and designer-label
clothing that the designer believes is fake.
The auction house makes no judgment on whether an item is infringing a
trademark, copyright or other rights, instead telling the seller merely that a
sworn statement has been made to that effect. Aley's first knowledge of
Condit's complaint came when he received an e-mail telling him that his auction
had been terminated. He promptly posted the e-mail on his Web site, along with
a copy of the artwork itself.
Aley said he wasn't exploiting a potential tragedy by creating his "Commentary"
and selling it on EBay. But isn't he exploiting it now, by going public with
his complaint?
"They yanked my auction off and censored me," he said. "I think I have a fair
claim to talk about that."
Kris Baker
The "artist" didn't read eBay's TOS. Not only are
intellectual property rights (no comment on Condit's!),
but eBay has also banned many crime depictions.
S/he should actually be glad that eBay pulled it, as
bids only went up to $1.25 (not a very flattering
critique) and shouldn't have run to the press with
a story relating that's what his artwork is worth ;)
Kris
Lady Taker wrote in message
<20010726141253...@ng-bd1.aol.com>...
GLC1173
>Online auction house EBay Inc. said >Wednesday that it had removed a piece of
>art for sale about the disappearance of >Chandra Levy because of a complaint
>by Rep. Gary Condit (D-Ceres), who said >it violated his intellectual property
>rights.
>"We were contacted by a representative >from the congressman's office in
>Washington. . . . He believed the item >was 'a violation of the congressman's
>right of publicity, based upon the use of >his name or image,' " said EBay
>spokesman Kevin Pursglove.
>"To the best of my knowledge, this is first >time any politician has asked for
>and gotten an item pulled on EBay," >Pursglove said. The work of art in
>question, titled "Social, Artistic & Political >Commentary #9," was created by
>Terry Aley, a graphic designer and artist >in Kansas. The collage includes
>photos of Condit and missing intern Levy, >whose disappearance has sparked
>intense media coverage nationwide.
>In the artwork, near the Condit photo is a >cutout of an ax dripping blood.
>Sprinkled around the montage are words >such as "thou shall not be a
>hypocrite,"
>"missing" and "The media is to Chandra >what piranhas are to guppies."
The artist should take it to a New York auction house or art gallery; with
the notoriety that idiot congresscritter helped give it, this artwork is now
worth millions!
<I>(Know a Gary Condit story involving the Hell's Angels? <a
href="mailto:edi...@netpath.net">Email this paper!</a>)<i>
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