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Nigeria’s Traditional Fashion: Legal Protection and Preservation
Cultural misappropriation of traditional fashion expressions in nigeria and the urgent need for a sui generis framework Nigeria is a country rich in cultural diversity, home to over 250 indigenous ethnic groups. Each of these groups has fashion expressions unique to its heritage. The Yoruba’s Aso Oke, the Igbo’s George wrapper and beads, and the…
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Chanel N°5 vs N°9 Flower of Story: Packaging Recognised as Source Identifier in China
In 2019, CHANEL identified that a Chinese company, Yiwu Ai Zhi Yu Cosmetics Ltd. also referred to as Story of Love Cosmetics Co., Ltd. (SLC), was producing a perfume marketed as “N°9 Flower of Story,” which closely imitated the distinctive trade dress of CHANEL’s N5 perfume. The alleged infringing product replicated the bottle shape, stopper…
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France’s Fast Fashion Bill: Stitching Together Sustainability?
Ecological Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher announced that France’s new law requiring clothing environmental cost labels empowers consumers, rewards sustainable producers, and counters the harmful impacts of ultra-fast fashion by increasing transparency and protecting domestic jobs.1 France is making a bold stand against the environmental and economic toll of fast fashion with its Fast Fashion Bill,…
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Bulgari Awarded Damages in Dispute Over Serpenti Lookalikes
In 31 January 2025, the Paris Court of Appeal handed down its ruling in the dispute between Bulgari and APM Monaco. At issue were designs from Bulgari’s Serpenti collection, centred on the stylised serpent head, the coiled form and the pear-cut gemstone eye. Bulgari claimed that APM’s Egyptian Tribute and Archi Noir collections reproduced these…
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Hermès Wins Major Copyright Case Over Iconic Sandal Designs
On July 11, 2025, the Paris Court of Appeal has delivered a resounding affirmation of creative protection within the luxury sector, partially upholding Hermès International’s claims against footwear imitators in a closely watched intellectual property dispute. The court confirmed copyright infringement for two specific mule models that copied the signature “H” shape of Hermès’ well…
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Secondhand Fashion in Senegal: The Final Destination for Abandoned Clothes | A Senegalese Story
Fashion that is no longer in trend, whether hanging in your closet or donated to charity, does not simply disappear. Many garments find their way to bustling markets far from where they began. Senegal, in West Africa, is one of the countries where this secondhand fashion trade thrives. In Senegal, feugue-diaye (“clean off and sell”)…
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Burberry vs Target: Dispute Over the Burberry Check
Burberry vs Target shows the legal risks of using a famous mark without consent. In 2018, Burberry filed proceedings in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Target Corporation and Target Brands, Inc. The matter concerned Target’s sale of products said to reproduce or closely imitate Burberry’s registered Burberry…
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Design Too Close to Longchamp Tote, EUIPO Finds
EUIPO Invalidates Rival Design for Lack of Individual Character The EUIPO’s Invalidity Division upheld Longchamp’s challenge to a registered handbag design, finding that it lacked individual character under Article 6(1)(b) of the Community Design Regulation. In its July 2025 decision, the Division concluded that the contested design was too close to an earlier version already…
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AI-Generated Models in Fashion: The Risks of Replacing Real Faces
When Fashion Nova quietly introduced AI-generated models into its online store earlier this year, the world noticed. At first glance, they appeared like any others: curvy, well-posed and Instagram-polished. But users on TikTok and X pointed out glitchy hands, unrealistic skin textures and a ‘too perfect’ symmetry that gave them away as AI. The virality…