AP Tells Zimmerman to Stop Sale of New Painting

The Associated Press has sent a cease-and-desist letter to George Zimmerman over his latest painting because it's based on one of the agency's photos. The photographer who took the original image isn't too happy, either, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The painting is of Florida prosecutor Angela Corey, though Zimmerman added a mocking caption. His brother unveiled it earlier this week on Twitter and said negotiations were underway with buyers. A previous Zimmerman painting sold for about $100,000 on eBay.

"George Zimmerman clearly directly copied an AP photo to create his painting of Florida State Attorney Angela Corey," says AP spokesman Paul Colford. Adds photographer Rick Wilson: "You just can't take somebody else's work and make it your own." AP, not Wilson, owns the copyright, though the photographer has gotten himself an attorney. Yesterday, Zimmerman tweeted, "No worries AP, I'll just take whatever U sue me for off your tab when I'm done suing you :-) Or... I could put out how much U offered me 2.." To which the AP spokesman said, "We don't know what he's talking about." It's reminiscent of AP's settlement with artist Shepard Fairey a while back. (More George Zimmerman stories.)