Towering argument over Rio statue rights
22/11/2004 - 07:58:14Brazil’s best-known monument, the Christ the Redeemer statue, overlooking Rio, is at the centre of a legal dispute over who owns the rights to its image on tens of thousands of souvenirs.
Heirs of the work’s Polish-French sculptor, Paul Landowski, believe they should receive royalties for his work on the monument.
Many seriously doubt that any tribute will ever be paid to the sculptor’s descendants, but some experts worry that the claim may eventually involve thousands of businesses that deal with souvenirs.
“A bee’s nest is being shaken. Where would we go from here? Tell me, who is going to pay Leonardo da Vinci’s heirs for the Mona Lisa likenesses sold at the Louvre Museum?” said Bemvindo Sequeira, of the Rio de Janeiro state council of copyright protection.
