If you're not looking for her, you might just pass her by as she sits just 30 inches tall. Yet this small sculpture was the subject of a threatened lawsuit in 2009 by the heirs of the original Little Mermaid sculptor, Edvard Eriksen. Greenville claimed it wasn't a replica but was just inspired by the original in Copenhagen. Although the nearby plaque says otherwise, the heirs dropped their claim a few months later anyway, saving the town from deciding between taking the sculpture down or paying a $3,800.00 fee.
She has sat here in Tower Riverside Park overlooking the Flat River since 1994.
One lesson that may be learned from this is that if you want to replicate a famous piece of art, ask permission beforehand or select art that has aged out of the copyright regulation (date of death of the artist plus 70 years). Feel free to copy the Little Mermaid after 2029 should that be your choice 😊
