Fan Keqin fights back: I was forced out by Hoffman, the Little Yellow Duck belongs to all humanity

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

The copyright dispute over the Kaohsiung Yellow Rubber Duck has angered Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman so much that he refused to come to Taiwan. Regarding the various controversies, Fan Keqin, former chief planner of “Yellow Rubber Duck, Happy Kaohsiung,” spoke out in defense on the morning of the 22nd. He stated that Hofman has no right to demand the replacement of the exhibition team, that he himself was forced out by Hofman, and that the copyright of the Yellow Rubber Duck belongs to all of humanity—“as long as you’re human, you can own a duck.”

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At the press conference, Fan Keqin said the exhibition team was threatened by Hofman, who said, “If Fan Keqin doesn’t leave, I won’t come.” That’s why he resigned three days ago as the chief planner of the event. Fan Keqin said Hofman accused Taiwan’s Smart Card Corporation of copyright infringement, but the corporation’s products were officially authorized and produced by Fan Keqin’s team. “They are protected under Taiwan’s trademark laws, and Hofman’s accusations are not well-founded.”

Fan Keqin also said that many businesses in Taiwan are free to produce their own Yellow Rubber Duck merchandise. “The duck’s copyright belongs to all of humanity.”

Fan Keqin previously stated that at the Kaohsiung duck exhibition, rubber ducks sold by other vendors did not require Hofman’s authorization. The contract only covered matters related to the “main duck exhibition area” and required prior consultation with Hofman, but it did not specify that other ducks could not be sold in the venue. Fan Keqin said he had asked Hofman more than once, when the duck was exhibited in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taoyuan, whether legal action had been taken against non-Hofman-designed duck merchandise being sold—and Hofman had only given evasive answers, with no action taken to date.