Wikipedia:School and university projects/Open Source Culture/Tom Forsythe

Food Chain Barbie & the Fight for Free Speech

by Tom Forsythe Posted August 10, 2004

Forsythe was sued by Mattel for copyright and trademark infringement in response to his “Food Chain Barbie” photography project. The District Court agreed with the Ninth Circuit court’s decision to uphold Forsythe’s freedom of speech and expression, and he received $2.1 million from the toy company.

“Mattel’s embarrassment might just send a wake up call to censorious corporate boards everywhere. At the very least, it will make it easier for artists who do get sued to find attorneys because they’re more likely to get paid at the end of the day.”

Forsythe’s art as well has his conflict with Mattel demonstrate the need to discuss open source issues and potential abuses of intellectual property laws in order to maintain our most basic freedom of speech. “We may be free to express ourselves, but if that expression involves offending a rapacious corporation, they’re equally free to sue; and unless we have the where withal to fight off high powered attorneys, that’s where our free speech ends.”