Chinese contemporary artist Gao Xiaowu has made a major breakthrough in his European intellectual property rights campaign, having recently won a lawsuit in Austria.

The case is likely the first instance of a Chinese artist achieving significant success in intellectual property protection in Western countries, according to a news conference held in Beijing on Aug 23.

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Gao, whose Standard Age sculpture series debuted in 2004, has faced piracy in over 110 countries, earning him the title of "most-pirated Chinese artist”. His other works have also been counterfeited worldwide.

Two Austrian courts have confirmed that Gao Xiaowu's copyrights were violated by the actions of KARE, a company based in Germany. Preliminary injunctions have been granted against both the Austrian and German branches of the company, according to Georg Zanger, Gao's legal representative in Austria.

"Cases like this show that the responsibility for protecting artistic creativity must be shared globally," he said.

With works exhibited internationally, Gao has become a well-recognized figure in China's contemporary art scene. His efforts to strengthen copyright protection abroad were described at the event as part of a broader momentum for promoting a sound intellectual property ecosystem in the art sector both at home and abroad.

China has also intensified its efforts in IP protection. There are now 80 national intellectual property protection centers in China as of July 18, 2025, China National Intellectual Property Administration, the country's top IP regulator has said.