CENTCOM forgets to get permission when doing propaganda

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has been dropping propaganda leaflets on Iraq to influence the people there to cooperate with the so-called "Operation Iraqi Freedom."

while CENTCOM is asking the Iraqis to play by the rules, the photographs rights have been ignored - this image is used without Allan Tannenbaums permission.

The shot was taken during Gulf war one, when Allan Tannenbaum covered the first Gulf War for Sygma. It depicts the family of an oil worker looking at the burning oil wells a few hundred meters from their home in Al Ahmadi, Kuwait.

Almost as kinky as the January propaganda leaflet dropped over Afghanistan - where even the headline spoke the wrong language, and the image had been doctored so Usama looked more like Gomez Addams than himself.

Tannenbaum thinks it's a good idea that the government is trying to stop the Iraqis from sabotaging the oil industry. Still, Tannenbaum isn't one to give the government free reign over his archive of images.

"We're going to bill them," he says.

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tlevitz's picture

Bill them double!

They didn't even bother to Photoshop a few changes into the photo of the family. Stupid enough to steal the photo, stupid-er to be blatant about it.

What? Do copyright laws only apply to Disney?

Dabitch's picture

yes. as it seems corporations get all the benefits of copyrights whilst individuals don't - ironic when it's the latter it's meant to protect.

[and if anyone comes in with the usual "a real artist has more ideas.. blabla" defense against intellectual property theft in this particular thread, I'll scream.]

creative people should get paid for their work. be it a font, an idea, a film or a photo.

(it's on the idea bit it gets iffy around these parts.)

anonymous's picture

"iffy"? It shouldn't be. as you say; creative people should be paid for their work. Don't pay the creator = killing the market.

anonymous's picture

ah, this quote sums it up:

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.

- Thomas Jefferson

anonymous's picture

ps - i think. I'm not sure who that quote really belongs to.