The originator of an image of the European continent shown in a modified form on euro notes is not entitled to payments from the European Central Bank (ECB).
That was decided by the district court in Frankfurt.
According to the court, the man, who is a geographer and cartographer, had demanded that the ECB pay him 2.5 million euros for the use of the image for the past and 100,000 euros a year for the next 30 years, i.e. 3 million, because that image created by him will be used on the notes.
In 1996, the plaintiff entered and won a competition for the design of the euro notes with his design.
Anna Sophia Lang
Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.
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He used various satellite images and digital files for the image, which the court said he edited and altered, shifting coastlines, fjords and islands, and reworking surface textures and colors.
After winning the competition, he transferred the usage rights to a European institution for 2180 euros, the license was later transferred to the ECB.
According to the judgment, the depiction on the notes differs so greatly from the plaintiff's image that he is not entitled to any remuneration under copyright law.
His image is used as a starting product, “by adopting the outlines of the satellite view of Europe”.
Otherwise, however, the "individually creative features" faded: the landmasses depicted in green and dark brown on the banknotes were kept in one color with line reliefs.
Thus, an independent, new work was created.
The verdict is not yet legally binding.