Mercedes Fight with Muralists Tests Building Copyright Bounds

A legal fight between Mercedes Benz USA LLC and a quartet of artists may help decide whether works on building exteriors deserve copyright protection.

The automaker is seeking judgments in three lawsuits that Instagram photos of its G 500 luxury truck in front of colorful murals painted on Detroit buildings don’t infringe four graffiti artists’ rights. The carmaker has cited a 1990 federal law that extended copyright protection to architectural designs but exempted photos and paintings of the outside of buildings visible from public spaces.

The conflict tests the question of whether works that might otherwise be eligible for copyright ...