diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/ArtifactUtils.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/ArtifactUtils.java
index 1589767005..d8c4f1eaff 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/ArtifactUtils.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/ArtifactUtils.java
@@ -16,9 +16,13 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import org.apache.maven.artifact.versioning.VersionRange;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 public final class ArtifactUtils
@@ -99,4 +103,42 @@ public static Map artifactMapByArtifactId( Collection artifacts )
         return artifactMap;
     }
 
+    public static Artifact copyArtifact( Artifact artifact )
+    {
+        VersionRange range = artifact.getVersionRange();
+        DefaultArtifact clone = new DefaultArtifact( artifact.getGroupId(), artifact.getArtifactId(), range.cloneOf(),
+                                                     artifact.getScope(), artifact.getType(), artifact.getClassifier(),
+                                                     artifact.getArtifactHandler(), artifact.isOptional() );
+        clone.setRelease( artifact.isRelease() );
+        clone.setResolvedVersion( artifact.getVersion() );
+        clone.setResolved( artifact.isResolved() );
+        clone.setFile( artifact.getFile() );
+
+        clone.setAvailableVersions( copyList( artifact.getAvailableVersions() ) );
+        clone.setBaseVersion( artifact.getBaseVersion() );
+        clone.setDependencyFilter( artifact.getDependencyFilter() );
+        clone.setDependencyTrail( copyList( artifact.getDependencyTrail() ) );
+        clone.setDownloadUrl( artifact.getDownloadUrl() );
+        clone.setRepository( artifact.getRepository() );
+
+        return clone;
+    }
+    
+    private static List copyList( List original )
+    {
+        List copy = null;
+        
+        if ( original != null )
+        {
+            copy = new ArrayList();
+            
+            if ( !original.isEmpty() )
+            {
+                copy.addAll( original );
+            }
+        }
+        
+        return copy;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/ArtifactFactory.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/ArtifactFactory.java
index 9b11cf008e..1b6b831b90 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/ArtifactFactory.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/ArtifactFactory.java
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ public interface ArtifactFactory
 {
     String ROLE = ArtifactFactory.class.getName();
     
-    Artifact cloneArtifact( Artifact artifact );
-
     // TODO: deprecate and chase down (probably used for copying only)
     Artifact createArtifact( String groupId, String artifactId, String version, String scope, String type );
 
diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/DefaultArtifactFactory.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/DefaultArtifactFactory.java
index 715687570f..8c3fddc016 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/DefaultArtifactFactory.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/factory/DefaultArtifactFactory.java
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.handler.manager.ArtifactHandlerManager;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.versioning.VersionRange;
 
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.List;
-
 public class DefaultArtifactFactory
     implements ArtifactFactory
 {
@@ -35,44 +32,6 @@ public DefaultArtifactFactory()
     {
     }
 
-    public Artifact cloneArtifact( Artifact artifact )
-    {
-        VersionRange range = artifact.getVersionRange();
-        DefaultArtifact clone = new DefaultArtifact( artifact.getGroupId(), artifact.getArtifactId(), range.cloneOf(),
-                                                     artifact.getScope(), artifact.getType(), artifact.getClassifier(),
-                                                     artifact.getArtifactHandler(), artifact.isOptional() );
-        clone.setRelease( artifact.isRelease() );
-        clone.setResolvedVersion( artifact.getVersion() );
-        clone.setResolved( artifact.isResolved() );
-        clone.setFile( artifact.getFile() );
-
-        clone.setAvailableVersions( copyList( artifact.getAvailableVersions() ) );
-        clone.setBaseVersion( artifact.getBaseVersion() );
-        clone.setDependencyFilter( artifact.getDependencyFilter() );
-        clone.setDependencyTrail( copyList( artifact.getDependencyTrail() ) );
-        clone.setDownloadUrl( artifact.getDownloadUrl() );
-        clone.setRepository( artifact.getRepository() );
-
-        return clone;
-    }
-    
-    private List copyList( List original )
-    {
-        List copy = null;
-        
-        if ( original != null )
-        {
-            copy = new ArrayList();
-            
-            if ( !original.isEmpty() )
-            {
-                copy.addAll( original );
-            }
-        }
-        
-        return copy;
-    }
-
     public Artifact createArtifact( String groupId, String artifactId, String version, String scope, String type )
     {
         return createArtifact( groupId, artifactId, version, scope, type, null, null );
diff --git a/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/MavenProject.java b/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/MavenProject.java
index 46bfc1e5e5..5f0a7b9a75 100644
--- a/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/MavenProject.java
+++ b/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/MavenProject.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.ArtifactUtils;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.DependencyResolutionRequiredException;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.factory.ArtifactFactory;
-import org.apache.maven.artifact.factory.DefaultArtifactFactory;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.ArtifactRepository;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.resolver.filter.ArtifactFilter;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Build;
@@ -187,7 +186,7 @@ public MavenProject( MavenProject project )
 
         this.executionRoot = project.executionRoot;
 
-        this.artifact = new DefaultArtifactFactory().cloneArtifact( project.artifact );
+        this.artifact = ArtifactUtils.copyArtifact( project.artifact );
     }
 
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------