Bernardo is a household name for luxury designer footwear. Currently, this company has made a name for itself as “plaintiff” in several patent infringement lawsuits, centering around the design of their ornamental thong sandals. Since obtaining the patent in 2008, Bernardo and its parent company JPT Group have filed eleven lawsuits against other shoe and lifestyle brand companies. Some of the eleven companies Bernardo has taken legal action against are Old Navy, Famous Footwear, Balenciaga, and Pedro Garcia. Most recently, the company has accused Tory Burch of infringing upon their intellectual property rights. In particular, the Tory Burch Emmy Pearl Sandal closely resembles the design of the Bernardo thong sandal. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Fashion
Karl Lagerfeld Rips Off New Balance
Karl Lagerfeld has landed himself in hot water by overstepping fashion boundaries according to New Balance. The athletic brand is filing a lawsuit against the fashion designer, claiming that he has ripped off the brands trademark trainer logo. Legal documents filed against the designer state that the use of the letter K logo appearing on the side of the sneaker is too similar to the New Balance Signature N. New Balance states that this may cause unwelcome confusion among their customers. A key difference between the similarly styled kicks is that the new balance retail for $112 while Lagerfeld’s version will cost you $360.
Off the Runway: Fashion Fury and a New Suit
Project Runway, the hit television series, has its very own Veruca Salt. Winner Irina Shabayeva, nicknamed “Mean-a Irina” on Season 6 of Project Runway, left over 300 guests waiting for her collection to come down the runway during Fashion Week. Ms. Shabayeva is being sued for breach of contract, where the company is seeking compensation and damages for the “breach of good faith,” as well as costs, interest and attorney fees. The Lifetime fashion and design show hosted by model Heidi Klum and was previously on the Bravo network. Read more