The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Logo Has Been Withdrawn After Plagiarism Accusations
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Logo Has Been Withdrawn After Plagiarism Accusations
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The poster with a logo of Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 is removed from the wall by a worker during an event staged for photographers at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building in Tokyo Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015Eugene Hoshiko—AP
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic logo was meant to represent unity. Instead, it was officially withdrawn on Tuesday after allegations of plagiarism against the designer, Kenjiro Sano.
Sano maintains his design came from original work and that he only pulled the logo because it did not have public support, the JapanTimesreports.
It has also been alleged that Sano used work from other artists without permission during his Olympic logo presentations.
“I swear my design did not involve copies or plagiarism,” Sano, 43, said in a statement published on his website, in a translation provided by the newspaper. “Any attempt of suspected copying or plagiarism should never be permitted.”
“I made the decision (to retract the logo) after judging that it is difficult to let this situation continue, to protect my family and staff from persistent attacks and bashing over the ruckus,” Sano said . “I feel the situation has become unbearable as a human being.”
He also said the privacy of his family was infringed after their pictures appeared online.
The retracted logo, which features a bold letter ‘T’ and a red circle, bares striking similarity to graphic designer Olivier Debie’s emblem for the Théâtre de Liège in Belgium.
Since pulling the artwork, Sano has apologized to some parties, but not for his work on the logo. He will not receive the ¥1 million ($8,320) prize for winning the design competition, the Times says.
A young couple on a date in a cafe in Tokyo.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesA Shibui dance function in Tokyo where young people would go to meet other young people in hopes of finding a partner.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA Shibui dance function in Tokyo where young people would go to meet other young people in hopes of finding a partner.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA young couple walking around in the Ginza district of Tokyo. 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESAkiksuke Tsutsui, left, bids his girlfriend, Chiyoko Inami, farewell as her train departs. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESAkiksuke Tsutsui, left, and his girlfriend Chiyoko Inami, right, walking around in the Ginza district during their lunch hour. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESNohito Mukai, left, and his girlfriend, Hiroko Inayaki, go roller skating on a date in Tokyo. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESHiroko Inayaki, left, goes for a drive with her boyfriend, Nohito Mukai. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESTakahide Inayama (Age 20), left, and his girlfriend, Mitusyo Ogama (Age 20), both are university students. Seen here picking out apples on a date near their university. 1959JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESChiyoko Inami, left, and her boyfriend, Akiksuke Tsutsui, playing a game on a train headed to Kyoto to meet Tsutsui's family. March, 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA young couple out on a date in Tokyo. 1959JOHN DOMINISÑTHE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESYoung couple visiting a bridge near the Imperial Palace. 1959JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA young couple takes a "selfie" on a self-timer on their camera. 1959JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESChiyoko Inami, left, and her boyfriend, Akiksuke Tsutsui, right, sharing an intimate moment on a date. March, 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESA young couple making out on a date in a park in Tokyo. 1959.JOHN DOMINISÑTHE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
