Danish artist Tal R wins copyright case against watch company founders over painting usage

A Danish court has ruled in favor of artist Tal R, preventing Arne Leivsgard and Dann Thorleifsson from using his painting Paris Chic (2017) in watch designs for their new brand Letho. The founders of the defunct watch company Kanske purchased the work for £70,000 from Victoria Miro in London during August 2019. In October 2019, they proposed incorporating the painting into limited edition watch faces. Letho invited potential buyers to bid for the opportunity to select which part of the painting would appear on their watch. Tal R's lawyer Jørgen Permin stated that while purchasers may sell or destroy artworks, they cannot alter and reintroduce them commercially without permission. The court determined that altering the work for commercial purposes violated copyright law, distinguishing it from destruction. The legal decision protects artists' rights against unauthorized commercial adaptations of their purchased works.