Des Moines Art Festival Exec Stephen King sent me this story:
Des Moines artist Chris Williams never imagined his work would be in a Super Bowl ad, but he recently became aware that an ad by the supermarket chain Hy-Vee featured prominently his mural in a Des Moines neighborhood. Not only that, the narrator was Oprah. It was a 4 minute feature that showed his work twice. Right.
So you've got Oprah, the supermarket and original art. Who profited?
I believe you're right. Not Chris.
It’s clear that artists are sick of their creations being treated like neutral backdrops for a plethora of corporate initiatives, and they’re fighting back en masse.
Chris is suing Hy-Vee for $25,000. His story has spread way beyond Des Moines.
Learn more: https://observer.com/2019/08/chris-williams-hy-vee-oprah-advertisement-super-bowl-mural/
My husband was a photographer, he always carried "model releases" with him, to insure he had permission. Did Hy-Vee get permission? Is this copyright infringement? What do you think?
