DESIGNER SUES
DESIGNER SUES
'EVIL' TWIN VON FURIOUS AT 'COPYCAT'
By DANICA LO
March 29, 2007 -- Seeing double? Well, Diane von Furstenberg is seeing red.
The famed designer thinks cheapie-fashion store Forever 21's $32 "Sabrina" smock dress looks suspiciously similar to her own $325 "Cerisier" design.
Von Furstenberg's studio filed a copyright-infringement lawsuit last week against Forever 21, claiming the downmarket retailer willfully copied the pattern, colors, and measurements of her popular frock - as well as another dress from a previous season.
While the fashion industry has long been plagued by counterfeiters hawking knockoffs on Chinatown street corners, rarely do established mass-market retailers so brazenly mimic high-end designers' current-season offerings, von Furstenberg's lawyers say.
"The so-called 'legitimized' versions are slightly better in quality [than knockoffs] but none are the same as the original genuine product," said Harley Lewin, of law firm Greenberg Traurig, who is representing von Furstenberg's studio. "The harm done is probably greater. Consumers are more likely to think they're buying the real thing at a retail outlet like this one, as opposed to a street corner," Lewin said. "When the quality isn't there, as it ultimately isn't, the consumers blame the brand."
The similarities go beyond appearance. Both dresses are 100 percent silk, and both are made in China. To the untrained eye, the construction seems almost the same.
I found this article interesting because there is such a large problem right now with knock-offs on Canal Street and with other street vendors. But now the problem is actually traveling into well known and popular stores. This believe it or not, is not the first time Forever 21 has had a very similiar looking garment as a top designer. Recently in December there was a dress that was being sold by Forever 21, that was also being worn my stars like Paris Hilton and Mischa Barton. The dress was soon pulled off the racks, and discontinued. Some may say that it is hard to not have similiar items on the market, due to the huge competition and popular demands for certain looks. But when you see a garment so similiar that you cannot tell the difference, there is obviously a problem. For the higher end retails and their customers I am sure that the design copy cats are a problem and are causing losses of money. But for a customer like myself, who can not afford the $800 dress just to party in, similiar products for a lower price are exciting and fashionable. In this case, I would say that Diane Von Furstenburg's side depending on when Forever 21's dress was manufactured. But for other prodcuts that have a similar look for a lower cost, I would say that they have the right to create designs for the average consumer to buy and enjoy. For the rest of the story click on the link below, its really interesting!
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03292007/news/regionalnews/designer_sues_regionalnews_danica_lo.htm
'EVIL' TWIN VON FURIOUS AT 'COPYCAT'
By DANICA LO
March 29, 2007 -- Seeing double? Well, Diane von Furstenberg is seeing red.
The famed designer thinks cheapie-fashion store Forever 21's $32 "Sabrina" smock dress looks suspiciously similar to her own $325 "Cerisier" design.
Von Furstenberg's studio filed a copyright-infringement lawsuit last week against Forever 21, claiming the downmarket retailer willfully copied the pattern, colors, and measurements of her popular frock - as well as another dress from a previous season.
While the fashion industry has long been plagued by counterfeiters hawking knockoffs on Chinatown street corners, rarely do established mass-market retailers so brazenly mimic high-end designers' current-season offerings, von Furstenberg's lawyers say.
"The so-called 'legitimized' versions are slightly better in quality [than knockoffs] but none are the same as the original genuine product," said Harley Lewin, of law firm Greenberg Traurig, who is representing von Furstenberg's studio. "The harm done is probably greater. Consumers are more likely to think they're buying the real thing at a retail outlet like this one, as opposed to a street corner," Lewin said. "When the quality isn't there, as it ultimately isn't, the consumers blame the brand."
The similarities go beyond appearance. Both dresses are 100 percent silk, and both are made in China. To the untrained eye, the construction seems almost the same.
I found this article interesting because there is such a large problem right now with knock-offs on Canal Street and with other street vendors. But now the problem is actually traveling into well known and popular stores. This believe it or not, is not the first time Forever 21 has had a very similiar looking garment as a top designer. Recently in December there was a dress that was being sold by Forever 21, that was also being worn my stars like Paris Hilton and Mischa Barton. The dress was soon pulled off the racks, and discontinued. Some may say that it is hard to not have similiar items on the market, due to the huge competition and popular demands for certain looks. But when you see a garment so similiar that you cannot tell the difference, there is obviously a problem. For the higher end retails and their customers I am sure that the design copy cats are a problem and are causing losses of money. But for a customer like myself, who can not afford the $800 dress just to party in, similiar products for a lower price are exciting and fashionable. In this case, I would say that Diane Von Furstenburg's side depending on when Forever 21's dress was manufactured. But for other prodcuts that have a similar look for a lower cost, I would say that they have the right to create designs for the average consumer to buy and enjoy. For the rest of the story click on the link below, its really interesting!
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03292007/news/regionalnews/designer_sues_regionalnews_danica_lo.htm
-Kristen Carnie
posted by Licensing 3 @ 3:17 PM
1 Comments:
COPY AND PASTE THIS link IF YOU CANNOT CLICK ON THE LINK provided. IT IS ABOUT DIANE VON FURSTENBERG'S LAWYER, HARLEY I. LEWIN BEING SUED FOR SEXUAL HARRASSMENT
http://www.abovethelaw.com/yasmin_marinaro/
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