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Summary The Irish artist whose poster of Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara became one of the most reproduced images of the 20th century, said he has decided to copyright the image to block crass commercial use.
Jim Fitzpatrick produced the classic red and black print of the long-haired Che wearing a soldiers beret with a single star in 1968 and distributed it copyright-free for use by revolutionary groups in Europe. It was quickly adopted by left-wing students, whose t-shirts and posters helped turn the image into a global sign of rebellion.After four decades of allowing the image to be reproduced free of charge, Fitzpatrick said he has applied for documentation to prove that he is the copyright holder. He intends to travel to Havana later in the year to hand the ownership rights to Guevaras family.
