The New York Times carries this brief but laughable story asserting the sculptor's intellectual property rights extending to pictures of one of his statues (link here). How far can this go? Or is it just for publicity?

“Sculptor Files Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart The sculptor who created a 7,000-pound charging bull sculpture that has become a favorite tourist photo stop at the foot of Broadway has filed suit in federal court in Manhattan against Wal-Mart, complaining that it is selling lithographs of his work without his permission. Arturo Di Modica, who made the sculpture with his own money as a tribute to America's rebound from the 1987 stock market crash, also sued several other companies for what he described as unauthorized use of his work, including North Fork Bank, which has used an image of the bull in a television advertising campaign, the lawsuit said. In the dead of the night in December 1989, Mr. Di Modica used a truck and crane to bequeath the fierce-looking sculpture illegally to the Wall Street area, plunking it down near the New York Stock Exchange. It was hauled away but was later returned by the city's Parks Department and installed in nearby Bowling Green, where it has remained. In 1998 Mr. Di Modica registered the bull with the United States Copyright Office. For many years he has sought to recoup his costs for the work by selling it to someone who will agree to leave it where it now stands. John Simley, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, said the company had not yet been served with papers in the case and would wait to comment. RANDY KENNEDY”