The directors of a restaurant have apologised in the High Court to artist Louis Le Brocquy for what they described as a serious breach of copyright of his works.
Mr Noel Loftus, Ms Yvonne Loftus and Mr Robert Boutiche, directors of Stilmoore Ltd, admitted breaching the copyright in their restaurant formerly known as An Tuath, Shelbourne Road, Dublin.
Ms Pauline Walley, counsel for Mr Le Brocquy, said other terms of settlement in his action for damages for breach of copyright remained confidential.
In a public apology, the restaurant owners confirmed the representations of Mr Le Brocquy's work, in particular two painted copies of Cuchulainn in Warp Spasm from The Tain, a painted copy of the tapestry Cuchulainn VI and painted copies of his Head Images on canvas, had been reproduced by Ms Loftus and painted on the restaurant walls.
The restaurant directors said the unauthorised reproductions breached and infringed his copyright in his artistic works, and constituted a slander of his title to his works and goods.
The restaurant owners also apologised for granting an interview to the Sunday Business Post in July, 1998, and regretted the article was accompanied by an unauthorised reproduction of one of the works.
In their apology, the directors conceded the article had wrongfully publicised the fact that Mr Le Brocquy had claimed breach of copyright, which gained publicity for the restaurant and had the consequence of disparaging and degenerating his claim.
They undertook not to infringe his copyright in the future, and destroy and obliterate the offending copies of his works.