Surprise, surprise. A certain fast fashion retailer is in trouble again. This time with Puma.
Forever 21 has recently come under fire for allegedly copying looks from Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma line. Puma filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles, claiming that Forever 21 has infringed on patents, trade dress and copyrights. The lawsuit states that The Creeper, Fur Slide and Bow Slide are “confusingly similar” to products Forever 21 has recently released and that even, “The media and consumers alike have commented on the substantial similarities between Puma’s Fenty Copyrights and Defendant’s shoe designs.”
Take a look at the designs below.
And it looks like Puma has a good chance of winning. Puma recently went after Topshop for a similar offence, wherein the British fast fashion chain released slider sandals with a striking resemblance to the Fenty x Puma Bow Slides. Puma won an injunction against Topshop in Germany, and the retailer had to stop selling the knock-off style immediately.
This isn’t the first time either fast fashion retailers have been accused of stealing designs either. Forever 21 is constantly in battle with independent designers accusing the conglomerate of stealing original designs and just a couple of years ago, Rihanna won a legal battle against Topshop for using images of her on t-shirts without her consent.
While the fast fashion business model is built on mimicking what is new and trendy at affordable prices, you have to wonder, how far is too far when it comes to copying designs?
Are you surprised Puma is suing Forever 21? Who do you think will win the battle?
Featured Image: Instagram/@FentyxPuma
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