The end of the dispute over the historical sign. NSZZ “Solidarność” wins over the creator of the logo

The Court of Appeal in Warsaw ruled, after long years of struggle, that the copyright to the historical graphic symbol “Solidarity” belongs to the Union – Piotr Duda, chairman of the National Commission of NSZZ “Solidarność”, told PAP on Friday.

The judgment is final and ends the dispute that has been ongoing since 2022 between the Association and Jerzy Janiszewski, the creator of the logo from 1980, who demanded recognition that he was entitled to full property rights to the design.

The Court of Appeal upheld the earlier decision of the District Court in Gdańsk, which granted copyrights to the Association and ordered Janiszewski to stop licensing and making the logo available in any form. The decision is valid in Poland and around the world for the entire period of copyright protection.

-We got it! After long years of fighting in court, we finally have confirmation that the copyright to the historical graphic sign “Solidarity”, which has always been part of our identity, belongs to the Union, Piotr Duda told PAP.

He added that “this most recognizable symbol in the world of the fight for freedom and human rights has always been ours.”

– I'm glad that the court has now confirmed it. This is very important because we can finally react decisively when someone uses our sign without consent or tries to use it in a way that is contrary to the values ​​from which it was born, Duda emphasized.

In its justification, the Court of Appeal stated that the copyright to the “Solidarity” logo belongs to the Union, and Jerzy Janiszewski cannot grant licenses or any permits regarding the use of the graphics.

The ruling covers the full scope of protection, both domestic and international.

The union has repeatedly raised the alarm that Janiszewski illegally licenses the use of the mark and uses it commercially. The dispute over the rights to the logo has been growing for years, but only in 2022 was it formally taken to court.

On May 8, 2024, the District Court in Gdańsk, in a non-final judgment, indicated that the proprietary copyright to the Solidarność graphic sign belongs to NSZZ “Solidarność” based in Gdańsk. At the same time, the court ordered Jerzy Janiszewski to refrain from granting licenses and other types of permits to exercise and profitably use copyrights to the Solidarność graphic sign.

(We plan to continue the topic)

Mira Suchodolska (PAP)

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