Lego sues artist over commercial use of minifigures, demands destruction of works

Danish toy giant Lego has initiated legal action against artist Artpusher, accusing him of commercial misuse of its iconic minifigures. The company is demanding that all existing artworks incorporating these figures be destroyed, according to a report by Politiken. Lego's lawsuit, obtained by the newspaper, states that Artpusher's use of the minifigures is "extensive, systematic, continuous, and significant commercial use" intended to attract attention. The company argues that these creations are not protected under Danish copyright law's principles of parody or satire. Artpusher, however, has vehemently rejected Lego's claims, labeling the demand for destruction as "absurd." He views the legal action as a fundamental attack on artistic freedom of expression. He maintains that his work falls under the legal protections for parody and satire, which are permitted under Danish copyright law when they contribute to artistic expression. The case highlights a tension between intellectual property rights and artistic freedom. Lego's legal team, represented by Plesner, insists that Artpusher's works are not parodies because they are identical or near-identical copies of the original figures, a stance Artpusher disputes.

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Common to the infringing motifs is that there is extensive, systematic, continuous, and significant commercial use of the Lego minifigure, which is used by Artpusher to attract attention.