2023-07-10 14:29:00
France
Mélenchon sentenced for copyright infringement
Both the politician and his party were convicted for having used the work of a street artist without authorization.
PostedJuly 10, 2023, 4:29 PM
La France insoumise and Jean-Luc Mélenchon will have to pay 40,000 euros to the street-artist Combo.
La France insoumise and its leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon were sentenced on appeal to pay 40,000 euros for infringing the copyright of street artist Combo, announced the artist’s lawyer.
The Court of Appeal thus reversed the decision of the Paris court which had, in 2021, dismissed the street artist of his requests, ordering him to pay 5,000 euros in legal costs.
At the heart of the dispute: “The Asian Marianne”, a mural representing a Marianne with a bare right breast carrying a tricolor flag, with the caption “We want justice”, produced by Combo in early 2017 on Boulevard du Temple in Paris.
“Damage to his reputation”
In June 2020, the artist accused Jean-Luc Mélenchon of using this fresco without permission in campaign clips. Before the Court of Appeal, he claimed from the political leader and his party more than 900,000 euros for counterfeiting, infringement of his copyright and non-pecuniary damage, according to the judgment.
Combo “complained primarily regarding political exploitation of his work and damage to his reputation,” said a statement from his lawyer.
His “victory is historic because it constitutes the first case law rendered in France protecting a work of street art by copyright”, welcomed Me Nicolas Le Pays du Teilleul.
(AFP)
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