BRONZE ARTISTS FOR COPYRIGHT

BRONZE ARTISTS FOR COPYRIGHT to save authenticity of bronze art and bronze sculptures, keep the original bronze art

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an artist and her copyright story

original	www.impala-lechner.com 1997 November 15th The sculpture was created by Impala Lechner, cast and sold. US copyright: "Geese in Reed", VA Reg. No. 1,172,201, Feb. 12th 2003 www.copyright.gov 2001 December First discovery of a copy of my sculpture: Company in Frankfurt, Germany, was informed through my lawyer about the unauthorized use of the copyrighted sculpture. German company admitted the copy right infringement and that Impala Lechner is the originator of the sculpture, in a written document through my lawyer. I do have an omission contract. I got monetary awards. All my copies were signed with the fake artist name "Leonardo Rossi". The Frankfurt company informed me, that they produce with a foundry, in Bangkok, THAILAND. 2002 July Second discovery of a copy of my sculpture: Second company in Gronau, Germany. This Company admitted the copy right infringement and that Impala Lechner is the originator of the sculpture, in a written document through my lawyer. After going to court they lost. I do have an omission contract, signed in front of the court by the company. Company used the same photo of my copy in their catalog and web-site, Frankfurt company. Gronau company admits they get the knock offs also from a foundry in Bangkok, THAILAND. I get monetary awards. Third discovery of the copy of my sculpture: Gallery in Monterey, California, USA The copy was signed with "Leonardo Rossi". Same name and design as company in Frankfurt and Gronau is used. 2002 August Fourth discovery of the copy of my sculpture: Company in Wauconda, Illinois, USA "The biggest designer in the world"! I ordered a catalog and got IDENTICALLY the SAME catalog that Frankfurt company in Germany is using. Same pictures, order numbers, spelling mistakes, in three languages. 2002 September Fair Cologne "gafa", booth of the Frankfurt company, Germany, which copied me first. Discovery of a changed version of my sculpture "three geese in reed" with two more geese and a bit more reed. Company in Chicago offered the same sculpture after Aug. 2002! The sculptures were all signed with "Leonardo Rossi". 2003 June Fifth discovery of a copy of my sculpture: Company in Turnhout, Belgien. This company also purchases the knock offs from a foundry in Bangkok, THAILAND. 2003 July 30th Raid in the foundry in Bangkok, Thailand. 2 complete sculptures in question were found, 53 geese, cat tails, not mounted. Raid in the company in Belgium. 5 sculptures in question were found. My papers were filed at court in New York, against the U.S. company in Chicago and the first German company in Frankfurt. With the Chicago company I settled in Jan. 2005 for the "Three Ducks/Geese in Reed" # B-367 "Five Ducks/Geese in Reed" # B-672 "small Ducks/Geese in Reed" # B-686 I got monetary awards. 2004 February 6th discovery of a copy of my sculpture, this time made in China. Company in Belgium and representative: Mühlheim, Germany I settled with the company on Jan. 9th 2005. I got monetary awards. 2004 November 3rd 6 international artists take action against company in Frankfurt, Germany: Jane Dedecker -- www.dedeckersculpture.com Gary Lee Price -- www.garyleepricesculpture.com Victor Issa -- www.victorissa.com Dawn Weimer -- www.dawnweimer.com Rosalind Cook -- www.rosalindcook.com Desmond Fountain -- www.desmondfountain.com All these artists united together and since we had enough evidence, our German lawyer, Thomas Krauss interacted with the Department of Public Prosecution in Frankfurt. On Nov. 3rd 2004 the German State Persecutor in Frankfurt and the police raided the company's gallery, office and storage in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, Germany. The Police seized 40 knock offs, signed with "Leonardo Rossi", false certificates, catalogs, and four years of book keeping. Many bronze sculptors, which get infringed world wide, get united! So far we discovered many international web-sites which sell unauthorized, copyrighted sculptures including eBay...... 2005 March For example we have prove, that the company in Gronau, Germany sold 10 life size Sculptures per month, of the exact same design as the artist's originals. Artists united again and took legal action against this company. The police raided the company in Gronau, Germany. In their catalog are many of our designs, as in the Internet. This company sold 10 copies per month, life size sculptures through eBay. Made "in the style of LEONARDO ROSSI"!!! Copyrighted designs are being copied and cast poorly in Thailand or China and are sold world-wide in galleries, antique stores, garden centers, and even in eBay. The existence, integrity, credibility, trustworthiness and livelihood of the affected bronze artists are at stake worldwide. The original bronzes are signed with the artist's name, the Knock-Offs having mostly a fantasy artist name on it. You can buy an original for US$ 19,000.-, for the same copied sculpture in the lowest quality you pay US$ 2,200.-. The future and our credibility are ruined for sure, not only for the artists but also for serious galleries, art collectors and the art market itself. That's why we as artists come together now to find a way to stop this immense damage and disrespect of Art and Artists	not original
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The copy of the copy

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