This is totally a storm in a teacup, I know, but since we've been chatting about U2 a lot this week, I thought I'd share this post from Taylor Dupree.

Dupree is a musician and designer (among many talents, I believe), and recorded an album back in 2006 with Richard Chartier. The album, specification.fifteen, uses the same Hiroshi Sugimoto photograph as U2 are using on their new album cover. Take a look:

Dupree quite sensibly points out that since the use of the image was sanctioned by Sugimoto, perhaps the Japanese photographer could have informed U2 that the image had been used before. Maybe he did and they decided to press on regardless?

Anyway, some people decided to sensationalise this and claim that Dupree went off on a rant about this. There's nothing controversial about this - however, he does make some good points:

perhaps Sugimoto himself, being aware of our cover, or U2's designer could (maybe) have suggested a different photograph or perhaps a different layout direction. at least, that's my opinion, coming as a graphic designer myself.. i try not to design things that are too close to something else out there (if that's possible).

Fair point. Although there are obvious tonal differences between the covers, it's clearly the same image, but as Mr Dupree says:

this minor ordeal has become more a question of a project that was small, intimate and experimental (and the chance of a lifetime for a small artist) vs. the massive pop culture machine. in the end we all know who wins.