Attorneys who deal in art-copyright issues are watching the AP-Fairey suits closely. "Depending on the outcome, this case could impact standard practices in the art world involving preexisting imagery or impact licensing expectations for photography," says Virginia Rutledge, chair of the Art Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association. "One of the ironies here is that a lot of the art that’s in museums and that has fetched high prices at auction would be illegal under an adverse ruling against Fairey."

Fairey, it seems, is assured a place in history. That place, however, may have less to do with the record crowds drawn to his ica show than with his role in defining the legal status of references and appropriations.

 "Street Hassle" originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's June 2009 Table of Contents.