The Vizcaya Provincial Court Ruled Against The Bilbao City Council For Modifying A Bridge Designed by Santiago Calatrava

8 May 2009

The ruling determined that the modification of the bridge violated the architect’s intellectual property rights.

The Vizcaya Provincial Court ruled against the Bilbao City Council and two real estate developers deeming that they had violated the moral right to integrity of Santiago Calatrava’s work, the well-known Zubi Zuri bridge which crosses the river Nervión in Bilbao.

The case originated in the works, carried out at the City Council’s request, which installed two footbridges on the well-known bridge without the author’s consent, in his opinion to the detriment of the work as he had originally conceived it.

The ruling estimates that the bridge is an artistic creation protected by the Intellectual Property law and therefore the author’s moral rights over same are guaranteed. The ruling also granted him 30,000 € in compensation for pain and suffering.

For further information, please contact Eric Jordi : [email protected]