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“Dale Chihuly is perhaps the world’s most successful glass artist. His clients include Bill Gates and Bill Clinton, and his elaborate installations of sea gardens and flower clusters show that mere sand transformed by fire can elevate a casino ceiling to the level of gallery spectacle.

“But now Mr. Chihuly is in the midst of a hard-edged legal fight in federal court in Seattle over the distinctiveness of his creations and, more fundamentally, who owns artistic expression in the glass art world. Mr. Chihuly has sued two glass blowers, including a longtime collaborator, for copyright infringement, accusing them of imitating his signature lopsided creations, and other designs inspired by the sea.

“The glass blowers say that Mr. Chihuly is trying to control entire forms, shapes and colors and that his brand does not extend to ancient and evolving techniques derived from the natural world.”

Timothy Egan. Glass Artists Face Off in Court. The New York Times. June 1, 2006.

Related Stories & Documents:

43(b) Blog. Glass Half Empty, Authorship All There. June 1, 2006.

Maureen O’Hagan. Glass Artist Chihuly’s Lawsuit Tests Limits of Copyrighting Art. The Seattle Times. Dec. 16, 2005.

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