George Zimmerman’s latest painting of Florida State Attorney Angela Corey doesn’t impress the folks over at the Associated Press, because the way they see it, it is a direct copy of a photo taken by one of their photographers, Rick Wilson, Talking Points Memo reports.
The news wire has since sent a cease-and-desist letter to Zimmerman’s attorney to claim its copyright to the photo.
"George Zimmerman clearly directly copied an AP photo to create his painting of Florida State Attorney Angela Corey," the AP's director of media relations, Paul Colford, told TPM via email. "The AP has sent a cease and desist letter asserting its copyright in the photo to the lawyer who recently represented Zimmerman. That lawyer has responded, and though she no longer represents Mr. Zimmerman, she will be forwarding the letter to him today."
Zimmerman's brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., posted the new painting on his Twitter account late Wednesday evening, saying that details about the sale would follow.
The painting, titled Angie, depicts Northeast Florida State Attorney Angela Corey holding her thumb and fingers together. The text on the piece reads, "I have this much respect for the American judicial system."
"If you've seen the two photos, it's identical," Wilson’s attorney, John Phillips, told the Orlando Sentinel, according to TPM. "You just can't do that. You just can't take somebody else's work and make it your own."
Phillips said that if Zimmerman insists on selling the painting, his client, together with the AP, would file a lawsuit against him.
Read more at Talking Points Memo.