whose gates?

Ghibertigates.jpg
paradise, an imaginary park where "Fair Use" really is doctrine


Hide those cameras and sketchpads if you're planning on using them in Central Park this month, and even if you're not going, think of an alternative phrase to describe those 7500 orange-ish shower curtains. Do Christo and Jeanne-Claude own Central Park? Their publisher at least seems to think so, according to a post in Infoshop News by street artist and dedicated artists' rights gadfly Robert Laderman.

Christo's publisher [Kunst-Verlag Schumacher/Edition Fils] claims a vast new degree of copyright and trademark protection. They claim they will prosecute anyone who sells their own original photos of The Gates; who makes and sells a drawing of The Gates or who even uses the words, The Gates, without their permission. They claim to have copyrighted the words, The Gates. They also claim to have an agreement with the media that media sources may only use news photos of the gates for the period the installation is up. That after that the media will only be allowed to use "official" photos of The Gates.

They also claim that all of Central Park is now "private property." Talk about privatization! Be sure to thank Christo, Bloomscrooge and the CPC [Central Park Conservancy, the private group which now controls New York's parks, or at least the areas enjoyed by communities of money - ed.].

Don't forget the Maybach.


[image of Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise" from Artchive; story tip from Robert Boyd]

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Via the handsome and talented artist Robert Boyd, we learn that Christo and Jean-Claude are trying to pull an Anish... Read More

My Gates Evan, Mark and Aidan traipsing The Gates down the path to 81st Street. 15 February 2005. His Gates The Somerville Gates Their Gates "The Crackers" The [copyrights of greed and hate] Gates Via jameswagner.com: whose gates? Hide those cameras an... Read More

Christo and Jean-Claude are trying to pull the same maneuver as Anish Kapoor in Chicago; their publisher insists they have copyrighted the words The Gates (!), and will prosecute anyone who attempts to sell images of the works. (Thanks, James... Read More

Please see this quote from the Christo site:
http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/tg.html#products

They would never support this type of copyrighting.

I hope you trust your source.

Verification:

A moment later, Jeanne-Claude sternly warned Tiernan that pictures of the artwork are trademarked and can't be sold.

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Published on February 18, 2005 1:02 PM.

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