The problem with designers is they think they're fucking geniuses for coming up with banal ideas. Why else would French footwear scion Christian Louboutin think he should have the exclusive right to put red soles on shoes.
The legal battle in pitted Louboutin against Yves Saint Laurent for the right to color their outsole red. And while Louboutin was recognized for trailblazing use of red under the shoe, there was no legal reason to stop competitors from doing the same.
"Because in the fashion industry color serves ornamental and aesthetic functions vital to robust competition, the court finds that Louboutin is unlikely to be able to prove that its red outsole brand is entitled to trademark protection," said the judge.
It's nice to know that even designers who sell 240,000 pairs annually to the tune of $135 million of revenue have time to indulgently think they alone have a monopoly on the concept of color. If you can rip folks off to the tune of $1,095 (for the Maggie Leopard-Toe Pump at Neiman Marcus), you should just be thankful they're not smart enough to know what level of suckers they are.
The legal battle in pitted Louboutin against Yves Saint Laurent for the right to color their outsole red. And while Louboutin was recognized for trailblazing use of red under the shoe, there was no legal reason to stop competitors from doing the same.
"Because in the fashion industry color serves ornamental and aesthetic functions vital to robust competition, the court finds that Louboutin is unlikely to be able to prove that its red outsole brand is entitled to trademark protection," said the judge.
It's nice to know that even designers who sell 240,000 pairs annually to the tune of $135 million of revenue have time to indulgently think they alone have a monopoly on the concept of color. If you can rip folks off to the tune of $1,095 (for the Maggie Leopard-Toe Pump at Neiman Marcus), you should just be thankful they're not smart enough to know what level of suckers they are.
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