The legal dispute between the Italian museum Gallerie dell’Accademia and the German toy company Ravensburger continues. The origin of the dispute is that, according to the museum, Ravensburger illegally used the work of the Vitruvian Man for its own commercial purposes. In Italy, state cultural property requires prior authorization and the payment of reproduction fees. After analyzing the case, the Court of Venice and the Italian Ministry of Culture determined that the unauthorized reproduction of the work could cause damage to the Treasury.
However, a German court took a different position, ruling that Ravensburger could reproduce the work since in this country copyright does not apply to works in the public domain, and a national law was intended to be applied beyond the corresponding borders. The decision of the Stuttgart court may be challenged by the Italian authorities.
