Wheel team may take action over copyright as architect accuses consortium of “blatant plagiarism”.
The London Eye Company has been in talks with lawyers and may take legal action over copyright after a rival consortium announced plans for a similar wheel in Prague.

A spokeswoman for the London Eye said: “The whole copyright issue is with our lawyers at the moment. We are not ruling out legal action.”

The statement comes after Building’s revelation last week that the Czech capital has given World Wheel Group permission to build a bigger wheel.

The proposed wheel is to be 150 m in diameter, 15 m bigger than the Eye, with 40 passenger capsules, eight more than the Eye.

London Eye architect David Marks said that, if the rival consortium used his design, it would be a “blatant piece of plagiarism”. Marks said: “We have a UK copyright in the design and in the building [of the wheel]. UK copyright protection covers not only the designer’s drawings but also the actual structure to which they were linked.”

Marks added that he had held talks with other partners in the London Eye Company but he declined to discuss details.

He said he was confident that World Wheel Group would be unable to copy the Eye’s unique capsule design without permission from the London Eye Company.

However, Andrew Pugh, UK representative of French capsule manufacturer Poma, which has been contacted by World Wheel Group, said: “The design right [for the capsules] rests with the trade contractor – Poma.” A number of copyright lawyers contacted by Building said establishing a breach of copyright would be difficult.

Pugh confirmed that World Wheel Group had contacted Poma and added that he did not believe there was a conflict of interest.

World Wheel Group includes Building Design Partnership Special Structures Group and construction manager Bovis Lend Lease.

Does London Eye have a case?

A leading copyright lawyer has expressed doubt over whether London Eye Company could take legal action against World Wheel Group. Nabarro Nathanson partner Paul Golding said: “The law does not give you a complete monopoly on producing design concepts. Nobody else would be able to use any original aspects of any building if that was the case.” He added: “The London Eye would have to prove the new team had its design drawings in front of them when they were producing their wheel, that they had a picture of the London Eye they were trying to recreate.”