Ai Weiwei sues Volkswagen's Danish distributor for copyright infringement over photo of his life jacket installation

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is suing Skandinavisk Motor Co. A/S, the Danish distributor of Volkswagen, for copyright infringement. The case stems from a promotional photo of a Volkswagen Polo taken in front of Ai's installation "Soleil Levant" at Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen in 2017. The installation consisted of 3,500 life jackets arranged as a mosaic in the museum's windows. The photo was used in a promotional magazine without permission. Ai argues the unauthorized use exploits the migrant crisis for commercial gain, betraying the trust of the migrants he interviewed. The museum's director, Michael Thouber, testified that the exhibition reached an estimated 280 million people worldwide, making it unlikely Volkswagen was unaware of the artwork. The defense claims the photo had no marketing effect and that few Danes knew of the exhibition. The court, composed of two female judges and one male, will deliver a verdict in July 2019. Ai's lawyer noted the artist reviewed his testimony at 2 a.m. The trial is being held in a suburban Copenhagen courthouse near the defendant's headquarters. Ai has written an article in The Guardian explaining his position. The case raises questions about corporate ethics, sponsorship, and artistic freedom.