An artist is considering legal action after the Conservative Party used his cartoon to mock Andy Burnham. Stanley Chow, a Manchester-based illustrator known for his work with the New Yorker, created a cartoon of the prime minister for campaign material in the Makerfield byelection earlier in June.
Controversial Use of Artwork
At the Conservative conference this weekend, party workers handed out water bottles to journalists featuring the slogan "Bottler Burnham" above Chow’s cartoon. Chow expressed his discontent, stating,
“"I am taking legal advice, I may take legal action. It is copyright infringement; they are stealing my artwork to use for their own purposes."
He criticized the Conservative Party for not seeking permission before using his image, saying,
“"An institution like the Tory party – there is no excuse for them not to do their diligence, and find out the rules of copyright. It’s amazing how it got signed off – that really disappoints me."
Chow first became aware of the unauthorized use of his cartoon while watching Sky News, where presenters held the water bottles up to the camera and laughed at the slogan. He remarked,
