Re: Fine Art Reproductions

This is the information I received from the Warhol Foundation regarding Andy Warhol and Campbell's Soup, as promised.

amalyah keshet
head of visual resources, the israel museum, jerusalem akeshet[_at_]imj.org.il
visit our website <http://www.imj.org.il/> <akeshet[_at_]imj.org.il>

> Andy Warhol did not originally seek permission from Campbell Soup
> Company to paint their soup cans. He apparently did not run into
> problems with the company who saw his usage as amusing and the
> freedom of expression.
>
> It was only after Warhol's death, when the Andy Warhol Foundation
> began making licensing agreements with various manufacturers to
> use Warhol's imagery on products, that there was an official legal
> agreement between the Andy Warhol Foundation and Campbell Soup
> Company. Presently, both parties own a stake in the copyright and
> neither party can make licensing agreements without the other
> party's permission. Happily, we have a good relationship with them
> and are involved in various licensing deals with them covering a
> wide range of products.
>
> So, to answer your question, while he was alive, Warhol did retain
> the copyright to his own artworks but never addressed the issue
> himself as far as Campbell Soup Company was concerned.
Received on Sun Apr 11 1999 - 15:57:06 GMT