Latest news with #WindermereTownCouncil
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Council removes Gruffalo sculptures from park over copyright breach
Gruffalo sculptures have been removed from a beauty spot following claims that they breached copyright. The wooden carvings at Orrest Head, near Windermere in the Lake District, were taken down after a complaint by the popular children's books' copyright owner. Magic Light Pictures, which licences the rights to The Gruffalo on behalf of creators Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, wrote to the local council demanding their removal. Locals are now in uproar after the sculptures, which are privately owned, were taken away. Tamsin Travis, who runs a social media account encouraging people to visit the Lakes, said the sculptures had been there for a decade 'with no issue'. 'It's such an important part of the local community and it's such a wonderful site for children and families to enjoy without any expectation of buying anything,' she told BBC Radio Cumbria. Ms Travis called for the sculptures to be reinstalled 'for families to enjoy'. Magic Light Pictures wrote to Windermere Town Council claiming that the sculptures constituted 'copyright infringement'. 'These are licenced characters and you do not have permission to use these character likenesses on your site at Orrest Head (or any other site), as such activity represents copyright infringement,' the letter read. It asked the council to take photographs of the sculptures to enable it to 'determine the most appropriate next action'. Magic Light Pictures has licenced trails of Gruffalo carvings at Whinlatter Forest, near Cockermouth, and Grizedale Forest, to the west of Windermere, which are run by Forestry England. The Gruffalo, which was first published in 1999, is one of the most popular children's books in the world and has been adapted into theatre productions and a film. It tells the story of a mouse's woodland encounter with the Gruffalo, a scary beast which the mouse escapes through trickery. The book and its spin-off, The Gruffalo's Child, have sold more than 17 million copies worldwide. Sally Parkyn, the town clerk, told BBC News: 'All of us are working together to find a solution to what was just a mistake. We understand we should have thought about the copyright issue.' Magic Light Pictures was approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gruffalo carvings removed over copyright claims
Sculptures of characters from children's book The Gruffalo have been removed from a beauty spot over a copyright row. Windermere Town Council asked for the carvings to be removed from Orrest Head after it received a letter saying it infringed copyright. Tamsin Travis, who runs a social media account with the aim of encouraging people to visit the Lake District, said she felt "incredulity and profound disappointment" at the removal. The council said it was trying to find a solution. Both the owners of the sculptures and Gruffalo licence holders Magic Light Pictures both declined to comment. Ms Travis told BBC Radio Cumbria the original Gruffalo carving had been there for almost a decade "with no issue". "It's such an important part of the local community and it's such a wonderful site for children and families to enjoy without any expectation of buying anything." She added that she wanted to see the carvings reinstated "for families to enjoy". The sculptures are privately owned by a family in the area. Production company Magic Light Pictures licenses the rights to The Gruffalo on behalf of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, who created it. A letter from Magic Light Pictures to the town council read: "These are licensed characters and you do not have permission to use these character likenesses on your site at Orrest Head (or any other site), as such activity represents copyright infringement." It went on to say Magic Light Pictures had an agreement with Forestry England, which had licenced trails at Whinlatter and Grizedale Forests, and the sculptures at Orrest Head conflicted with that partnership. The company asked for pictures of the carvings so it could "determine the most appropriate next action". Town clerk Sally Parkyn said: "All of us are working together to find a solution to what was just a mistake. "We understand we should have thought about the copyright issue." Forestry England has been approached for comment. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here Gruffalo and Tiddler illustrator on the 'imperfections' of his work Julia Donaldson: The Gruffalo hogs too much attention Windermere Town Council
