The US Supreme Court sided with a photographer who says Andy Warhol violated her copyright by using her work to create 16 images of the musician Prince.
Voting 7-2, the justices rejected arguments from the foundation that holds Warhol’s rights in a clash centering on the use of one of the images on a Conde Nast magazine cover. The foundation argued that the images transformed rock-and-roll photographer Lynn Goldsmith’s 1981 portrait of Prince, making them “fair use” under federal copyright law.
The decision could impose new burdens on makers of follow-on works, making it more likely they will have to get a license before selling their works. The ruling could affect copyrights on music, videos and books, as well as Warhol’s pop art.
