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T-shirts and History's Icons

Wednesday 24th of October 2007 08:16:59 PM

These days many famous people living or dead are featured on t-shirts and other items bought mostly by tourists, or those who want to start a trend. Famous people like Che Guevara and Nelson Mandela have had their images on many items over the years. Unfortunately, many people who buy these items aren't sure who these men are or what they represent.

But those who are trying to protect the images of those who have made real differences in their countries are finding it more difficult to prevent illegal licensing of these images because of the ease by which they can be produced. People are now able to create t-shirts and other clothing in their homes by simply downloading images off the Internet or producing mass numbers of shirts and shipping them all over the world. "For us the problem is policing it. It would cost millions to catch the entrepreneurs who do this illegally," said Achmat Dangor, chief executive of The Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Because foundations like these rely on donations from private citizens and monies raised from the sale of items like t-shirts, those who manufacturer shirts using images without permission are cutting into profits. "People assume [these products are] licensed and a percentage comes to the foundation, which isn't true at all," said Dangor.

Protecting the images of famous leaders is becoming more difficult each year. While foundations like The Nelson Mandela Foundation want people to learn more about Nelson Mandela and maintain his legacy, if too much interest is shown then the demand for t-shirts and other items will rise, which will persuade more people to create them illegally.

(c)Gerla Brakkee, www.sxc.hu