Artists Give Google the Finger

The New York Times gives freelancers a little morale boost with its latest Google (GOOG) story, in which Toronto artist Gary Taxali tells the search giant to take this pro bono assignment and shove it. While promoting its new search engine Chrome, Google recently "invited" prominent artists to create original works to showcase its speed and power, but offered no money for the opportunity. Google's pitch was fairly typical: you'll have to do it for free, but the staggering publicity will lure countless new clients to your door, begging to commission your work. Taxali was personally pitched this notion by Google representatives, but was so offended that he not only refused, but wrote up an account of his conversation on the graphic artist Web site Drawger, complete with middle finger extended.

Taxali's post has since been removed, but the cartooning blog Drawn! has kept a piece of it up. "Google calls me and wants my work for their new search engine all over the web," Taxali wrote. "The fee? Nothing. ... Here's to every client with shitty fees and terms: Do not waste my time or contact me. I am very busy working with clients who respect artists and you're wasting my time with your solicitations. So for you, I give you a special salute that I hope will keep you away, because I don't need your work."

The Times reports that some 200 artists cheered on Taxali at Drawger, roundly denouncing Google's miserly ways. If Google earned $1.42 billion in raw profit last quarter, they claimed, it can kick down for a good old-fashioned pay commission instead of hiding behind the Web's promotion-is-its-own-reward shtick.