A STAMP that mistakenly featured the image of a Statue of Liberty replica in Las Vegas instead of the original New York Statue will cost the U.S. Postal Service US$3.5 million in a copyright infringement lawsuit. Las Vegas sculptor Robert Davidson, who created the replica Lady Liberty in the facade at the New York-New York casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip, sued the Postal Service five years ago over its 2011 “forever” stamp design. The stamp featured the face of his Lady Liberty, which his attorneys argued in court filings was unmistakably different from the original and was more “fresh-faced,” “sultry” and even “sexier.” The Postal Service had been releasing the stamps for at least three months before discovering it was not an image of the New York statue. Postal Service attorneys argued Davidson’s design was too similar for him to claim copyright. Federal Judge Eric Bruggink sided with Davidson last week and agreed his work was an original design with a more modern, feminine and contemporary face. He ordered the Postal Service to pay US$3.5 million to the artist — a slice of the US$70 million the service made in profit from the stamp. Court documents show Davidson said he wanted his sculpture, like the rest of the casino-resort’s facade, to have the feel of New York’s iconic skyline without duplicating it. “I just thought that this needed a little more modern, definitely more feminine,” Davidson said. (SD-Agencies) |