Wonga asks for Twitter image to be removed due to 'copyright infringement'

Payday loans company Wonga has asked for an image featuring one of its puppets to be removed from Twitter saying it was copyright infringement.

Twitter sent a take-down notice to @Brandy_Snap after Wonga took issue with a satirical image which depicted Earl, one of the puppets from its TV adverts, as part of a William Hogarth painting set in Fleet debtors' prison.

Twitter asked for the image, which also featured the company's logo, to be removed on the grounds that it breached copyright.

Parody and satire accounts have been a long-standing part of the Twitter network and despite the take-down notice the image has now been circulated by more Twitter users.

Responding to media requests Wonga defended the notice, tweeting:

Proving breach of copyright on Twitter is a legal grey area due to the potential defence of fair use, which cites parody as an acceptable example in US law, where the social network is based.

UK copyright law is currently being updated to protect a right to parody, criticise and debate as more and more users take to Twitter.