Prof. Cotter Quoted in New York Observer on Graffiti Artists' Rights

Professor Thomas Cotter was quoted in a New York Observer article about a lawsuit brought by a Queens, New York, street art collective to enjoin the demolition of a warehouse whose owners had allowed the artists to cover with graffiti art over the past 20 years. The lawsuit involves a portion of the U.S. Copyright Act known as the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA). Cotter suggests that a court might conclude that VARA prevents the owner from tearing down the building without the artists' consent, but that it is more likely the court will find a way out by concluding that the artwork is not a "work of recognized stature."