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U2 album artwork branded 'rip off'

US artist claims the band copied him on their new album

American musician and label owner Taylor Deupree has accused U2 of copying one of his album covers for their new record.

The Irish band's sleeve for 'No Line On The Horizon' features the same image as Deupree's 2006 album 'Specification. Fifteen'.

Both covers are based on a photograph by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Deupree posted a "rant" on 12kblog entitled 'U2 Album Cover…Have I Seen This Before?', attacking U2 for not researching their cover properly.

"U2's forthcoming album 'No Line On The Horizon' is nearly an exact rip-off of mine and Richard Chartier's 'Specification. Fifteen', which came out a couple of years ago," Deupree wrote.

However, a further post by Deupree said that he doesn't think the argument should become a legal matter.

"This minor ordeal has become more a question of a project that was small, intimate and experimental (and the chance of a lifetime for a small artist) versus the massive pop culture machine," he wrote. "In the end, we all know who wins."
 

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Comments (5)

hairy gonk mother 

Jan 21, 2009

Does anyone care?!

chrispaz 

Jan 21, 2009

This guy sounds like an idiot. I'm no U2 fan, but if he says it shouldn't become a legal matter, then why is he moaning about it? Plus, his album cover was based on someone else's as well, so it wasn't original either. He shouldn't have bothered making a comment at all. "Minor ordeal" my arse....

whatawasteofspace 

Jan 21, 2009

now there's two shite album covers based on the same piece of art!

Stardumb 

Jan 21, 2009

Is this guy joe satriani? JK if I were him I would sue the Japanese artist and U2 for allowing them both to use the only picture he has of horizons...real original

amanda110 

Oct 26, 2009

make your own U2 CD Cover: http://www.imediacreator.com/tutorial-photo/make-u2-cd-cover-on-mac.html#175

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