Palin sued over alleged 9/11 photo use
NEW YORK (CNN) - Sarah Palin and her political action committee are being sued by a newspaper publisher over the use of an "iconic" Sept. 11 photograph.
In legal documents obtained by CNN, the North Jersey Media Group claims that Palin used their "WTC Flag Raising Photograph" without permission when it was allegedly posted on her Facebook page and the website for her political action committee, SarahPAC.
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The photograph, which depicts three firefighters raising an American flag over the rubble of the World Trade Center, was taken September 11, 2001, by Thomas E. Franklin, a staff photographer at the publisher's subsidiary, The Record, in New Jersey. CNN Films recently produced a documentary, entitled “The Flag,” that explored the story of the banner, which went missing.
The photograph has drawn national attention - being made into a stamp in 2002, and later enshrined in the Library of Congress, according to the photographer's website.
Screen captures sent to CNN by the publishing company show the picture on Palin's Facebook page, embossed with the words, "We Will Never Forget." CNN did not, however, independently view the photos on Palin's websites before they were reportedly taken down.
“It’s important to enforce our copyright on this iconic photo," Jennifer Borg, general counsel of the North Jersey Media Group, told CNN. “When neither Ms. Palin nor her PAC responded to our demand letter to remove the photo, we were left with no choice but to seek redress through the courts.”
In the federal lawsuit, filed Friday, the publisher asks that Palin and SarahPAC be forced to stop using the photograph and pay damages or defendants’ profits.
CNN reached out to Palin and her representatives for comment Saturday, but did not receive an immediate response.
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Politicians are criminals. Period.
Good move Snooki Palin and the unhinged GOBP tea potty will use anything or anyone to make money.
Palin has become the red pepper/chillies that oozes out immoral noises when its igbo name 'ose ocha' is whistled.
When will this lady go away.
Damages? What damages? She has to pay for using a photo taken to bring us together in a time of need and sadness? Does that mean the US Government has to pay royalties on every stamp they make? This is more of a "I don't like your politics so don't use my photo" thing.
People shouldn't be allowed to profit off of 9-11
The picture is "iconic" but few people have actually seen it. Let's have it be more visible, please?
Very interesting. Are they suing the US government for putting it on a stamp? Are they suing everyone who puts that stamp on a letter?
She should have taken a pic of the stamp and used that instead.
It's all about Sarah, don't 'cha know. I, for one, wish she'd just go away. I've heard of an old school bus somewhere in the wilds of Alaska that would be a good place for her to disappear to.
hahaha, and this person wanted to be second in command? and she has no idea about something as simple as copyright? Thank you America for kicking her to the curb.
This is so typical of Palin she makes me sick in so many ways! She hit an all time low!
We love you Sarah. We don't care if you are stupid.
Hmm reminds me of the trouble Reagan got into for using "Born in the USA" without permission. Gotta love it though when the artists refuse to let their work be used to promote issues they are diametrically opposed to... btw how is she still getting in the news?
let no tragedy go un-cashed in on
Awww, poor little soccer-mom from Alaska being "made" to do something she doesn't wanna do. Awwwww.
Waaaa Waaaa Waaaa!!!
I hope the jury throws the book at them!
No excuses.
If she was a democrat they would not have sued.
Absurd. Maybe we should pay to look at the pics. We know what "kind" of people are behind this.
It's so like the "lame stream media" to use the courts to enforce, you know, laws and stuff. Don't they realize that all's fair in Palin-world, as long as it benefits her?
That picture was all over Facebook on 9/11, not just on Sarah Palin's page. It would be doubtful that she, or her political group, created that picture.
Yep, Sarah Palin is determined to be in the spotlight, no matter what the cause or the side affects. 🙂
She's a media hoebag, nothing more.
I wonder if Obama or any in his administration used this picture, would there be an issue.....I think not. Cry baby!
This lady always comes out from woodwork,
You know on 9/11 of this year there were a lot of people posting that exact same picture on their facebook page. I can promise you they were not asked to take it down and will not be sued because they posted that picture. What is this world coming to where everyone is suing everyone. That is just crazy!!