Lego Decision

Ai WeiWei said that Lego’s decision is "victory for free speech."

21:33 14 January 2016

In September, Lego has refused to sell a bulk order of plastic bricks to Ai Weiwei, a Chinese contemporary artist and activist. The 59-year-old initially decided to keep quiet about the company’s decision. However, when it was revealed that a new Legoland theme park would open in Shanghai, the artist was led to believe that Lego’s decision to stay away from projects had a “political agenda.”

 

On Tuesday, Lego made a U-turn, and said that it used to ask customers ordering bulk purchases for the “thematic purpose” of their project, as it did not want to “actively support or endorse specific agendas.”

 

The statement posted on its website added: "However, those guidelines could result in misunderstandings or be perceived as inconsistent, and the Lego Group has therefore adjusted the guidelines for sales of Lego bricks in very large quantities.”

 

Ai said that Lego’s decision would encourage more people to use the product to express themselves.

 

He added: "It is just a toy, but every toy reflects the company's understanding about what kind of future we are in and how we encourage our children to understand essential values.”