Sculptor sues Swedish glassmaker for €1m in test of EU ‘bestseller clause’

Landmark case over popular snowball candle holder design may open door to retrospective claims across bloc

One of Sweden’s longest-established glassmakers is facing what could be a landmark legal challenge over €1m in royalties it has allegedly failed to pay to the creator of one its most famous pieces, in a test of an EU-wide “bestseller” right that was brought in to strengthen cultural creators against producers and publishers.

Cloudy of hue and with a rustic texture that breaks the flickering tealight inside, the “snowball” glass lantern is a classic item of Swedish household design, as ubiquitous in the Nordic country’s homes as the Billy bookcase. With more than 15m sold worldwide, it has also been a reliable money-spinner for its manufacturer, Kosta Boda.