Shepard Fairey, HOPE poster creator, sentenced to probation

A judge sentenced Shepard Fairey to two years of probation and 300 hours of community service today in case that accused the artist who created the iconic “HOPE” poster of destroying evidence.

The 42-year-old father of two created the poster during President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, and it quickly became a popular and pervasive image.

Recognizing the source material, The Associated Press contacted Fairey and demanded payment.

Fairey countered with a lawsuit against the AP in 2009, saying his work is above copyright law based on fair-use exceptions, The New York Times said.

Prosecutors, who asked the judge for a sentence including jail time, alleged Fairey destroyed or created evidence to prove he didn’t use the AP image.

More from GlobalPost: HOPE poster creator Fairy pleads guilty to contempt of court

“After spending a great amount of time, energy and legal effort, all of us at The Associated Press are glad this matter is finally behind us,” AP CEO Gary Pruitt said in a prepared news release.

Freelance photographer Mannie Garcia took the photo of a pensive Obama at the National Press Club in 2006.

On his website, Fairey admitted to making a mistake.

“My wrong-headed actions, born out of a moment of fear and embarrassment, have not only been financially and psychologically costly to myself and my family, but also helped to obscure what I was fighting for in the first place — the ability of artists everywhere to be inspired and freely create art without reprisal,” he wrote.

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