German artist Oliver Bienkowski, who projected the words ‘United Stasi of America’ together with a picture of Kim Dotcom on to the wall of the US embassy in Berlin, may face criminal charges.

Investigation has been launched into whether Bienkowski’s action falls under the category of “slander against the organizations and representatives of a foreign state,” Berlin-based Der Tagesspiegel newspaper reports.

"For me it is not even clear whether German law would apply," objects Bienkowski's lawyer Fabian Eickstädt, reminding of the fact that the controversial image was projected onto the US embassy’s wall, meaning the incident took place on the US territory.

The US embassy told Der Tagesspiegel it did not intend to prosecute the artist.

The message likening the United States to the Cold War-era East Germany intelligence agency was projected on to the wall on Sunday night. The light-generated sign also bore a picture of online activist Kim Dotcom, who later tweeted from New Zealand that he had "defaced the US embassy in Berlin,” commenting on the incident.

The projection was in response to leaks by former CIA employee Edward Snowden, who exposed a top-secret NSA surveillance program to the media.

The image stayed on the US embassy wall for no longer than 30 seconds. What helped the event resonate with the public was its YouTube video, which has already garnered more than 80,000 views.

(Source: RT and Der Tagesspiegel)