David Perry recently commented on the copyright implications of a popular blog that borrows images from home décor catalogs with the Chicago Tribune.

Molly Erdman created “Catalog Living,” which chronicles the life of a fictional couple while incorporating satirical comments on items from home furnishing catalogs such as Pottery Barn and West Elm.

Despite the blog’s success, which has been featured on Buzzfeed.com and “The Daily Dish,” Ms. Erdman worries that one of the big companies whose images she has borrowed will send her a cease-and-desist letter.  

But a friend told her that the copyright exception for parody and “fair comment” should protect her.

Being able to show you drive traffic to the sites is “better than saying, ‘Surely, your honor, you don't think people are buying fewer of this credenza because she made a sarcastic remark about it,’” Mr. Perry said.

He said he could see being able to make a strong case both for Ms. Erdman and for a company that might want her to remove its images.

But, Mr. Perry said, "if there is a healthy criticism and (number of) comments here, from a legal side that tends to point in the right direction in terms of it being fair use for parody."

“Second City alum pokes fun at the absurdity of catalogs” by Steve Johnson appeared in the Chicago Tribune on July 14, 2010. To read the full article, visit www.chicagotribune.com.