By TESSA JAMANDRE
Distinguished sculptor and designer Lee Roy New is demanding P10 million from the producers of the Vic Sotto-Ai Ai de las Alas starrer that raked in P238 million at the tills, breaking local box office records.
The Filipino designer, through his counsel, Roque and Butuyan Law Office, is also demanding that the producers “immediately desist from further showing, exhibiting, distributing, and licensing, the above mentioned movie in any medium,” which he said grossly violate his intellectual property rights.
New alleged that the movie’s fictional character “Satana” portrayed by actress Bing Loyzaga wore a costume artwork copied from his art muscle dress sculpture.
A variation of this art muscle dress designed by New was used by international singer Lady Gaga in the music video for her new single “Marry the Night,” which was featured on the art cover of the singer’s album.
Twenty-five-year old New has distinguished himself internationally in exhibiting innovative artwork in the 2008 Singapore Biennale and the Fukuoka Triennale in Japan a year after that. After winning the 2009 Ateneo Art Award program he won a juried art residency grant at La Trobe Visual Art Center in Australia in 2009.
The Roque & Butuyan Law Office has formally written the producers of the comic merger of two blockbuster films, “Enteng Kabisote” and “Ang Tanging Ina,” produced by M-Zet Productions, Star Cinema and OctoArts Films, in behalf of New and asked compliance to said demands within 10 days from receipt of demand letter last Feb. 2. Otherwise, it said, appropriate charges would be initiated in local courts of law.
New’s counsel said the misappropriated design constituted an integral and inseparable part of the movie considering that “Satana” with a costume copied from their client’s artwork worn for a crucial and substantial part of the movie principally during its final battle scene.
While the pirated copy of New’s artwork was attributed as a genuine artwork of the Filipino designer as evidenced by the closing credits of the movie where his name was mentioned, New neither consented nor gave permission to the use of his art design, the reproduction of his artwork and the use of his name in the movie. Admissions from members of the production team and other promotional materials acknowledging New’s art as the source of the costume used by the principal villain in the movie hav been documented.
The famed artist’s counsel said New’s moral rights were violated when his design was not only used, but also altered and mutilated for use in the movie.
VERA Files called up Star Cinema for its side but didn’t get a reply.