I’m watching a pre-inauguration program on tv, and they’re in a store full of memorabilia, the owner said 150 different items with Obama’s name/likeness.
So, does he get any cash from this or is it somehow public domain, being president? (I think he ought to get some of the profit)
He doesn’t receive any compensation for the use of his image in that memorabilia; he’s fair use as a president. I remember after 9/11 when a company was producing dolls of Bush, Blair and Osama (with optional pink dress) FoxNews or CNN mentioned that Bush and Blair’s images were fair use as politicians, but they would have had to pay Osama for his likeness if he ever came out of hiding and sued in a US court. The company didn’t think that was likely, so made the dolls.
Heh, it’d be pretty funny if Osama came out when he was on his deathbed, sued everyone for using his likeness, got rich, died before being convicted, and left all that money to his successor (who would have a perfectly clean record up until that point). Wait, no, that’d be horrifying.
His US assets have been frozen, so any funds resulting from a judgment in his favor (or settlement) would also be frozen, and would eventually be forfeited to Uncle Sam (since he’s not exactly likely to show up for a trial, or be exonerated if he does).