CHINESE artist Ye Yongqing has issued an apology to Belgian artist Christian Silvain after Beijing’s Intellectual Property Court upheld a 2023 ruling against him for plagiarism.
The court ordered Ye to pay Silvain 5 million yuan (approx. (RM2.2 million) and publicly apologise for copying 87 of Silvain’s works over the past 25 years, South China Morning Post reported.
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The verdict also marked a significant legal precedent, being the first time a foreign artist has won a plagiarism case against a Chinese artist in China’s courts.
The legal battle began in 2019 when Silvain, 75, accused Ye, 67, of reproducing his artworks.
The Belgian artist only discovered the plagiarism after a gallery owner in Amsterdam pointed out a “substandard” version of one of his pieces.
Further investigation revealed that Ye had exhibited another similar work in London’s “largest exhibition of Chinese art.” This led Silvain to file a lawsuit against Ye in China.
Despite acknowledging Silvain’s “influence” on his work, Ye denied the plagiarism allegations.
He countered by suing Silvain in Belgium for defamation, claiming the accusations harmed his reputation.
However, in 2023, the Beijing court sided with Silvain, ordering Ye to cease infringing on the copyrights, pay the compensation, and publish an apology in China’s Global Times within 10 days.
Ye appealed the ruling, but in December 2024, the court upheld the decision.
On January 23, Ye published his apology in Legal Daily, stating, “I sincerely respect the court’s verdict, learn my lesson and apologise to Mr Silvain.”
However, many online observers have criticised Ye’s apology as lacking sincerity.
One user commented, “He did not admit plagiarism, but only said he lost the case. He apologised because the court made him.”
Another noted, “The platform on which he chose to publish the apology and the wording showed his insincerity.” A third observer suggested, “He should also apologise to the collectors who spent a large sum of money on his work.”
Ye, whose works have been sold for over US$1.2 million (approx. RM5.3 million) at auctions, has prestigious collectors like Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch.
His artwork has been endorsed by auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s. However, Silvain’s original works that Ye copied sold for only 6,000 euros (approx. RM27,554).
Reports from Southern Metropolis Daily revealed that Ye made over 40 million yuan (approx. RM24.4 million) from selling plagiarised artworks.
Silvain, reflecting on the court’s decision, expressed satisfaction online, saying he was “pleased” with the outcome.
