Just over a week ago Donald Trump Jr. , the son of presidential hopeful Donald Trump, posted a picture tweet that (to put it mildly) caused a tidal wave of outrage. In a new turn of events the image has been removed and legal action is being considered due to the photo’s owner claiming it was used without proper consent.
Original post /David Kittos /Donald Trump Jr. Twitter Account
The image in question featured of a bowl of Skittles with a caption comparing them to refugees. The intended message was to convey the possibility that terrorists could potentially enter the U. S masquerading as refugees. The threat was likened to a poisoned Skittle within a batch of normal ones. The tweet referenced a similar statement made by conservative radio host Joe Walsh a week prior on Twitter.
There was an immense online backlash to Trump Jr. ’s post, with people taking umbrage at humans being equated to a poisoned candy. Covered by the worldwide media, it was only a matter of time before the owner of the image recognised his work.
After DCMA /Donald Trump Jr. Twitter Account
In an ironic twist the photographer in question turned out to be a former refugee himself. David Kittos, who fled from Cyprus to the UK in 1974 following the Turkish invasion, revealed that the photograph was taken from his Flickr account, apparently without his consent or knowledge. Kittos filed an infringement complaint which led to a DCMA takedown notice of the image.
Within his complaint, Kittos counters any defense that his Skittle bowl photo may have been free to use.
“The image of a bowl of Skittles is mine and has always been set as ‘ALL RIGHTS RESERVED’ in my Flickr library. It was copied and is being used WITHOUT my permission. ”
“The image of a bowl of skittles is mine and has always been set as ‘ALL RIGHTS RESERVED’ in my Flickr library,” he said. “It was copied and is being used WITHOUT my permission. I have never been contacted by Donald Trump Jr. or any representative about the image, before of after it was used in the tweet. ”
Kittos has since made it known to news sources that he has retained the services of a Chicago-based lawyer over the alleged misuse, but has yet to confirm if he is moving forward with further legal action.
Speaking with the BBC, Kittos said, "I am very glad it's down, and it shouldn't have been up in the first place,"
The concept of hidden dangers lurking in innocuous-seeming food as a visual and verbal metaphor for a perceived social threat is not new. Previous cases run the gamut; from comparisons of militant feminists to batches of possibly harmful M&M’s during the Gamergate affair, to WW2 anti-semitic Nazi propaganda pieces declaring a poisonous mushroom endangers a whole batch.
The case is hardly unique, as many people have mistaken images posted online as free to use. Trump Jr. is just one of many people who could brush up on their knowledge of copyright law.
What are your thoughts on the photo use? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and in the comments. We know this touches on politics please try and keep it civil.
. digitalrev.com2016-10-7 03:00