The FCM has denounced the "plagiarism" of a work by César Manrique in the poster of the Film Festival organized by the Cabildo and has demanded the withdrawal of that advertising campaign, also warning that it could take legal action. In that poster, the work "El Campesino" is used, without the Cabildo previously contacting the César Manrique Foundation or requesting authorization to use this image, which has been included in posters and other physical and digital media.
"The use of this plagiarism to announce a prestigious festival organized by the Island Council and with the support of the Government of the Canary Islands, not only implies a violation of the right of authorship of César Manrique, as provided in article 14 of the current Intellectual Property Law, but also implies a disgrace for the Festival, for the public institutions that sponsor it and for the public image of Lanzarote. It denigrates not only respect for copyright, but also contemporary art, and even the good taste that can be expected in the dissemination of a cultural activity such as the Film Festival", says the president of the Foundation, José Juan Ramírez, in a letter he has sent to the president of the Cabildo, Pedro San Ginés.
In that letter, "appealing to his respect for legality and good sense", the president of the FCM asks San Ginés "to immediately withdraw this advertising campaign to announce the Festival", and informs him that he makes "manifestation of the express reservation of any legal actions that may correspond to defend the moral and material rights" of César Manrique, although he states his confidence that "this situation will be resolved as soon as possible, preventing this outrage to culture and good sense from continuing".
