CBLDF Leads Coalition to Protect the First Amendment Rights of Editorial Cartoonist

[ZiprHead]

CBLDF is leading a coalition protesting the removal of a cartoon satirizing President Donald Trump by Pulitzer Prize–winning editorial cartoonist Nick Anderson from the online marketplace Redbubble. The removal arises from a meritless complaint by the Trump re-election campaign. The cartoon constitutes speech protected by the First Amendment, and its removal misuses mechanisms designed to protect intellectual property to suppress protected speech.

On May 18, the Daily Kos reported that Redbubble removed products featuring Anderson’s cartoon “The Trump Cult,” based on allegations of trademark infringement from Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. The Trump Campaign has misused Redbubble’s reporting mechanism to suppress political expression in the form of parody, critique, and satire protected by the First Amendment.

CBLDF and our coalition partners Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, American Library Association, Office For Intellectual Freedom, Authors Guild, Freedom to Read Foundation, National Coalition Against Censorship, and PEN America call upon Redbubble to reinstate Mr. Anderson’s product listings to affirm its commitment to its sellers’ — and its own — First Amendment rights.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/5/18/1945888/-Cartoon-Trump-fans?fbclid=IwAR3dj62g56xIvIXmQNJ_92OLYeuXHjIDqwnUAb4NGnlas50e%20VvTLf6zEkHw

Naturally, I disputed the removal. I can only surmise that the Trump campaign is suggesting that the “MAGA” hats are a Trademark violation. This, of course, is absurd. The First Amendment and Supreme Court case law clearly protects Trademark and and/or Copyright “infringements” if it the material in question is being satirized.

It has been six days, and I have gotten no response from Redbubble. Given how quickly my work was detected and taken down, it is clear that the Trump campaign has some aggressive techniques for spotting this kind of content and attempting to take it down.

This raises some troubling issues. The Trump campaign appears to be aggressively and successfully suppressing content on commercial sites that it doesn’t like, and some of them are apparently rolling over pretty quickly.

 

[Metaphor]

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CBLDF is leading a coalition protesting the removal of a cartoon satirizing President Donald Trump by Pulitzer Prize–winning editorial cartoonist Nick Anderson from the online marketplace Redbubble. The removal arises from a meritless complaint by the Trump re-election campaign. The cartoon constitutes speech protected by the First Amendment, and its removal misuses mechanisms designed to protect intellectual property to suppress protected speech.

On May 18, the Daily Kos reported that Redbubble removed products featuring Anderson’s cartoon “The Trump Cult,” based on allegations of trademark infringement from Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. The Trump Campaign has misused Redbubble’s reporting mechanism to suppress political expression in the form of parody, critique, and satire protected by the First Amendment.

CBLDF and our coalition partners Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, American Library Association, Office For Intellectual Freedom, Authors Guild, Freedom to Read Foundation, National Coalition Against Censorship, and PEN America call upon Redbubble to reinstate Mr. Anderson’s product listings to affirm its commitment to its sellers’ — and its own — First Amendment rights.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...mQNJ_92OLYeuXHjIDqwnUAb4NGnlas50e VvTLf6zEkHw

Naturally, I disputed the removal. I can only surmise that the Trump campaign is suggesting that the “MAGA” hats are a Trademark violation. This, of course, is absurd. The First Amendment and Supreme Court case law clearly protects Trademark and and/or Copyright “infringements” if it the material in question is being satirized.

It has been six days, and I have gotten no response from Redbubble. Given how quickly my work was detected and taken down, it is clear that the Trump campaign has some aggressive techniques for spotting this kind of content and attempting to take it down.

This raises some troubling issues. The Trump campaign appears to be aggressively and successfully suppressing content on commercial sites that it doesn’t like, and some of them are apparently rolling over pretty quickly.

It's difficult to imagine what the alleged violation is.

But large companies certainly kowtow to copyright claims very easily. Many videos on YouTube can get a copyright strike despite the creator's obvious use as commentary or satire.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...mQNJ_92OLYeuXHjIDqwnUAb4NGnlas50e VvTLf6zEkHw

It's difficult to imagine what the alleged violation is.

It is the exact same violation Trump has claimed for decades. It is his name (and perceived value) and he has threatened legal action against anyone that questions it. And even as a public figure, his lawyers are apparently back at it. But in this case, aiming to quell dissent.

 

[Elixir]

It is the exact same violation Trump has claimed for decades. It is his name (and perceived value) and he has threatened legal action against anyone that questions it. And even as a public figure, his lawyers are apparently back at it. But in this case, aiming to quell dissent.

Well FUCK him. He's egging on Putin's shutdown protester snowflakes.