Amusing, but whoever made it did steal the image of Oprah. Somewhere there is a photographer who makes a living capturing and then selling images like that. The image is his property. He paid thousands of dollars for his equipment. He may have paid thousands of dollars just to have the right to take the photographs at whatever event that was.
What gives anyone the right to google Oprah images and then simply copy the image and use it for whatever they want without asking for permission or paying for it?
It is theft. It is a violation of CURRENT copy right law.
You might think that it is harmless, but if copy right laws don't apply to this kind of theft, why should they apply when a when a website uses the image?... Or a newspaper?... Or a magazine?...
Where is the line of protection for the photographer?
I haven't read the SOPA/PIPA legislation, so I can't really comment on it one way or the other, but this naive view that you should be allowed to do whatever the heck you want on the internet without regard to copy rights is simply shortsighted and illustrates the juvenile nature of most of the opposition to SOPA/PIPA. It's a lot of "Oh Noez! DOn't take my youtubez away! My freedomz of speechz!"
Yet you have.
I've always figured you for a pretty smart guy and, as such, should know that nothing is copyrighted until a copyright has been applied for and granted.
I believe that the current fee is ~ $25 USD.
Not a bad price if one gets a chance to photograph Jesus.
Seriously, you should read it. It's not pretty. It is deeper than losing youtube, etc.
As a musician, I completely understand how you feel about your art but, as with any other type of censorship, it must be done carefully.
