Lego has reversed the policy in which it refused to sell its multicoloured toy bricks to Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist who has used them to satirise the Communist party and call attention to the plight of fellow dissidents in China.
The Danish toymaker’s rejection of Mr Ai’s order in October prompted a backlash after the artist accused Lego of censorship and suggested that its decision was related to the opening of a Legoland theme park in Shanghai. Lego said at the time it had a policy of denying requests for bulk orders of its bricks if it believed they would be used for political comment.
In a statement published on its website on Tuesday night, Lego said it had changed its policy. In the past it asked customers requesting bulk orders of its bricks what the “thematic purpose” of their project was, as it did not want to “actively support or endorse specific agendas”.