The authors of "Swimmers" - brothers Svetomir and Svetozar Radović, have filed a new lawsuit for the protection of copyrights, demanding one and a half million euros for the removal of the famous sculpture from the park across from the State Assembly fourteen years ago.
Due to the demolition and removal of "Kupačica", the authors sued outgoing mayor Miomir Mugoša and his deputy Vladan Vučelić, as well as "Komunalne usluge", "Zelenilo", "Čistoća" and "Pogrebne usluge", as legal followers of PUK, as well as companies "Diam Bor" and "Elevator".
"The work in question was demolished by coordinated action, knowingly, calculated, illegal, without consultation and consent of the author... and only on the basis of a telephone conversation between the then director of PUC Vladan Vučelić, and on the order of the coordinator of the commissioner of the Municipality of Podgorica, Miomir Mugoša" , the lawsuit states.
The dispute was postponed until September 15, because the representatives of "Čistoća" did not appear at yesterday's hearing, as they were not duly summoned to the court.
In the previous dispute, 50.000 euros were requested from the Capital City and "Vodovod" and that case is still in the High Court for decision based on the appeal of the plaintiffs, whose request to expand or modify the lawsuit was not accepted.
Previously, in 2006, the High Court issued a judgment partially accepting their claim and determining the payment of compensation in the amount of 20.000 euros.
The sculptors and "Vodovod" filed an appeal against that verdict.
By the decision of the Appellate Court, the judgment was annulled, and the case was retried to the Basic Court, because in the meantime the laws were changed, which stipulate that basic courts should deal with copyright.
The figure of a woman made of white marble, bathing in a fountain under a huge white onion, known to the public as "The Bather", was placed across the street from the Assembly 16 years ago, and many perceived it "as too large to be pleasing to the eye".
"Bathroom", as the people of Podgorica called the sculpture originally called "Longing", was removed in 2000, immediately after the arrival of the new city authorities, headed by Mugoš.
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