Can You Profit from Your Crimes?

Unless you’re living under a rock, there’s no way you missed the spectacle of Donald Trump having his mug shot taken at Fulton County Jail for his indictment on racketeering and many other charges. Just in case, this took place in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 24th. For weeks leading up to the event, everyone was anxiously waiting for the photo to be released. Among the eager, plenty of opportunists have been planning to use the mug shot for merchandise on their Etsy shops. Let’s face it, it’s an easy money grab. In a plot twist that none foresaw, the bandits who instantly started to use his mug shot for commercial purposes were none other than Trump’s very own campaign. No one is surprised! But things might not go too well if Fulton County decides to sue him for using what’s rightfully the county’s property. I’m in the group of people who thought that you could safely use the image since it’s a kind of public record, or what some would consider public domain. But according to experts who know this side of the law better than I do, as soon as you voluntarily surrender yourself to the County Jail to take your photo, you are submitting the rights to your image. In other words, if Fulton County wants to pursue Donald Trump for the $7 million that he profits from selling merch and other items with his mug shot, they can. <a href="https://medium.com/beyond-the-buffer/can-you-profit-from-your-crimes-2e402f5eae93">Click Here</a>