A London high court has upheld a previous ruling against Icelandic artist Oddur Fridriksson, known as Odee, ordering him to surrender ownership of his conceptual artwork *We’re Sorry* (2023). The work consisted of a website impersonating Samherji, Iceland’s largest fishing company, and featured a fake apology for the company’s role in the 2019 “fishrot” corruption scandal. Judge Anthony Mann rejected Odee’s final appeal, affirming that the artwork constituted copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and malicious falsehood. The artist must now hand over control of the domain samherji.co.uk to the corporation.
This case matters because it tests the boundaries of artistic freedom of expression when confronting powerful corporate interests. Odee’s defenders argue that the ruling could have a “chilling effect” on artists who use satire and parody to critique corporations, especially in cases involving public corruption. The decision highlights tensions between intellectual property law and conceptual art, and raises questions about whether the legal system adequately protects activist art as a form of democratic discourse. The outcome may influence how artists approach politically charged works that mimic corporate identities.