German publisher to challenge offensive AI memes of iconic children’s character

The German children’s book character Conni frequently appears in internet memes. Now, publisher Carlsen Verlag has clarified how meme makers can use the Conni character and in which scenarios they may face legal action.

Conni gets stuck in discussion over memes

Conni, also known as “the girl with a red ribbon in her hair”, has gotten stuck in the middle of a discussion about hateful memes and intellectual property.  In June, Carlsen Verlag, which has published 100 books in the popular Conni & Co series since 1992, issued a statement that it did not “approve” of memes featuring the children's character. 

The Conni series’ simple title format, Conni learnt Backen (Conni learns to bake) or Conni bekommt Taschengeld (Conni gets pocket money), has made the Conni brand a popular meme template since the 2010s. But AI developments have led to even more Conni memes in recent months. Today, an Instagram account with 279.000 followers titled Connimeme is perhaps the most prolific producer.

Following Carlsen’s statement in June, German media outlets reported that the publisher was ready to take legal action against those who make Conni memes. Online, Carlsen was criticised for infringing on artistic freedom. Protest has prompted the publisher to clarify that satire using the Conni character is still permitted. “We are not threatening legal action, but demanding that certain memes be deleted from the internet,” the publisher said on LinkedIn.

Conni cannot be used in hateful memes, says Carlsen

Carlsen clarified that it is “distancing itself from uses of the Conni character which are misanthropic, racist, pornographic or glorify violence” and that in such cases it will “assess which legal steps can be taken”. 

The publisher stated that such memes contradicted the values conveyed by the Conni series, which encourages children to overcome challenging scenarios with empathy, friendliness and solidarity. Unauthorised reproductions of the Conni character, which are used for commercial purposes, will also be challenged.

“We are pleased that the Conni character is so well-known and popular that she inspires many people to make playful and funny contributions on the internet,” the publisher explained. But certain rules must be followed, “which are easy to understand if you put yourself in the position of the authors”.