Mermaid sculpture in Mich. city targeted as illegal replica of Copenhagen’s famed statue

Mich. mermaid sculpture targeted as illegal copy

GREENVILLE, Mich. — A Little Mermaid statue that has stood in a park in a Michigan city since 1994 may be removed because of a claim it’s an illegal replica of the famous original in Denmark.

The city of Greenville was notified about the statue in a letter from the Artists Rights Society in New York representing the estate of Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen, The Daily News reported.

The Artists Rights Society says Greenville’s statue may not be an exact replica, but the pose and name are the same. It says Eriksen’s estate is seeking either the statue’s removal or fees for its display.

Greenville officials said their 30-inch statue by a Michigan artist was intended to be an interpretation of the original. City Manager George Bosanic says the city will work to seek permission for the mermaid to stay.

Copenhagen’s 5-foot Little Mermaid was inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.

Information from: The Daily News, www.thedailynews.cc/