Euro Notes’ Compensation Remains Low

The Austrian cartographer, whose Europa-Grafik design has been used on billions of Euro banknotes, has had his lawsuit for additional remuneration dismissed by the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court (OLG). Despite his work being used widely, the 87-year-old mapmaker’s request for 5.5 million euros from the European Central Bank (ECB) was rejected.

“No Entitlement for Extra Compensation”

The 11th Civil Senate, responsible for copyright law, concluded that the plaintiff has no rights to extra compensation. Despite acknowledging the plaintiff’s authorship, the court ruled that the geographical depiction on the Euro notes constitutes a different body of work. The case involved a claim for 25,000 euros in a partial lawsuit.

While an appeal against this decision is not permissible, the plaintiff could lodge a non-admissible appeal with the Federal Court of Justice (BGH). Philip M. Jakober, the mapmaker’s lawyer, noted that his client’s original claim for millions is still under consideration. He added that the mapmaker, who traveled the world to create his maps, used various satellite images and digital files to depict Europe.

In 1997, the cartographer transferred the rights to use his depiction of Europe to the Austrian central bank for a payment of 2,180 euros. The license was later transferred to the ECB, which used the depiction on all Euro banknotes. The dispute with the ECB began in 2014 when the mapmaker requested funding for a new project. The ECB requested a list of his claims and demands, leading to the conclusion that he had not been properly compensated for his work.

The Frankfurt Regional Court ruled the cartographer’s additional claim of 2.5 million euros immediately and a further 3 million euros for the following 30 years as unlawful.

The Original Work Was Used, But It’s Now a Separate Piece

The court’s decision was based on the argument that although the image was used in the banknotes’ design, it deviated enough to be considered a separate work. The color was changed, and certain geographical elements were not included. The Higher Regional Court agreed with this rationale and saw no direct link between the map’s use on the banknotes and the ECB’s seigniorage income, which the plaintiff wanted a share of.