New York Post

More ‘Girl’ drama

Artist and bank fight over ‘Fearless’ statue rights

- By LYDIA MOYNIHAN lmoynihan@nypost.com

The “Fearless Girl” statue, which is mired in city bureaucrac­y as it tries to keep a toehold across from the New York Stock Exchange, is now embroiled in another curious dispute, this one involving intellectu­al property.

Its creator, Kristen Visbal, is contesting the contract that gave away her rights to the piece.

She says State Street, the financial giant that says it owns “Fearless Girl,” produced documents that differ from ones on file with the city.

Visbal is advocating for the statue to remain on Broad Street, where it has stood since 2018, but she also wants to be able to use casts of the girl for new statues, including one in Norway.

State Street, which also wants the statue to stay where it is, says it has documents that prove it owns the rights to “Fearless Girl.” It refuses to let Visbal make copies.

It’s become such a tussle that

Todd Fine, who calls himself a public art advocate involved in historic preservati­on issues, enlisted the help of an ex-NYPD Crime Lab examiner, Richard Picciochi, who says he looked at documents filed with the city’s Department of Transporta­tion and ones held by State Street and found they were nearly identical — including the signatures and an April 2, 2017, date. The one difference, according to Picciochi: a line clarifying who owns the intellectu­al property.

“One document assigns her full intellectu­al property rights, and the other limits those rights,” said Fine, adding it’s “very serious” if a major company can’t explain why the two contracts differ.

State Street told The Post that there is only one signed and executed agreement filed with the city that provides for maintenanc­e of the statue on public property; a separate agreement between the bank and the artist governs the intellectu­al property rights, State Street says.

The conflict is expected to be resolved in a matter of weeks. Visbal told The Post she and State Street will conduct a second, court-requested, mediation on Dec. 13 as part of a series of legal actions.

Visbal, who spoke in a Thursday press conference at the statue, said she’s fighting to use the sculpture “on behalf of the public” — and with global nonprofits that seek to “spread the equality ideals behind her.”

Meanwhile, the permit granting “Fearless Girl” her spot on Broad Street expired Nov. 29 and has yet to be renewed.

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