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[titiklabingapat]

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42491785/ns/today-today_fashion_and_beauty/

NEW YORK — Paris-based designer Christian Louboutin, whose pumps have graced many fabulous and famous feet, sued fashion rival Yves Saint Laurent over the use of the color red on shoe soles.

"Mr. Louboutin is the first designer to develop the idea of having red soles on women's shoes," said the trademark infringement lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court on Thursday.

Since January, Louboutin said in the suit, he has asked luxury company Yves Saint Laurent America, a subsidiary of the Gucci Group, to stop selling red-soled shoes in the same select Manhattan stores as he does.

"Defendants' use of red footwear outsoles that are virtually identical to plaintiffs' Red Sole Mark is likely to cause and is causing confusion, mistake and deception among the relevant purchasing public," the suit said.



The suit asks for a U.S. judge to impose $1 million in damages and order YSL to stop manufacturing similar designs.

The Gucci Group was not available for comment and the U.S. branch of Yves Saint Laurent declined comment on the lawsuit.

Since shortly after Louboutin founded his first boutique in 1991 in Paris, the suit said, all his shoes have had red-lacquered soles. They can fetch more than $1,000 a pair.

"The Red Sole has become synonymous with Christian Louboutin and high fashion," it said, adding that Louboutin had trademarked the design in the United States in 2008.

I didnt even know you can patent red soles. Imma patent every firggin color in the rainbow then! Ultraviolet and infrared, even.

 

[tmarques]

"Mr. Louboutin is the first designer to develop the idea of having red soles on women's shoes,"

What a visionary!

 

[DemiMatt]

I sense an oncoming lawsuit from Michael Jordan for his usage of Red Soles in 1985 with the Air Jordan I

 

[XMonkey]

Why is this even a news story. For fucks sake.

 

[Bloodbeard]

"Defendants' use of red footwear outsoles that are virtually identical to plaintiffs' Red Sole Mark is likely to cause and is causing confusion, mistake and deception among the relevant purchasing public," the suit said.

More money than sense.

 

[slider]

My gf has a pair of Louboutins and, even though I don't care, I have to say they are pretty well known (amongst my gf's friends) as being synonymous with Louboutin.

I can see why they'd be concerned.

 

[Peru]

When you pay 3000$ for a pair of shoes I don't think you'll confuse Louboutin from YSL because of a similar sole. It's not Kleenex, you won't just grab it passing by the aisle.

 

[xbhaskarx]

"Mr. Louboutin is the first designer to develop the idea of having red soles on women's shoes,"

pretty sure this movie predates his idea by decades

 

[Drkirby]

Yeah, I hope they don't find a way to win this. I mean, you can see what they are getting at with this:

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.

But this is madness.

 

[mrseaves]

He looks like a pretty cool guy.

 

[Ignis Fatuus]

Eh, kind of a gray area for me considering that the red soles are his trademark characteristic, and that the use of them on Gucci's stuff may well be intended to cause confusion...

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

I didnt even know you can patent red soles. Imma patent every firggin color in the rainbow then! Ultraviolet and infrared, even.

Given the company that he's chosen to sue, I think it's a little important to bold this part:

NEW YORK — Paris-based designer Christian Louboutin, whose pumps have graced many fabulous and famous feet, sued fashion rival Yves Saint Laurent over the use of the color red on shoe soles.

It could be an interesting case regarding aesthetic and marketing intention.

 

[ComputerMKII]

French shoe brand Christian Louboutin has won a case against a Flemish far-right group which was use its red-soled shoes without permission in its campaign imagery.

Belgian anti-Islam campaigners must remove all posters featuring the stilettos of luxury French footwear designer Christian Louboutin after a court ruled in the company's favour on Monday.

The poster promoted by the campaign group "Women against Islamisation" showed the legs of Anke Van dermeersch, a former Miss Belgium and now a lawmaker for the far-right Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest).


Beside the image of her wearing the shoes, a key showed what it said was Islam's view of a woman, according to the length of her skirt, from "sharia conform" at floor level to "whore" just above the knee and "stoning" at the top of the thigh.
Louboutin said it had not authorised the use of its shoes in the campaign (pictured below) and that their inclusion damaged its image.
The group must remove all its posters within 24 hours, the court in Antwerp ruled.

 

[Guy LeDouche]

The red sole thing has been his for a long time.

Lydia in Breaking Bad wore a pair at some point iirc

 

[Trojita]

He's sued several times in the past.

Also

 

[waypoetic]

This thread is from 2011....

 

[DBT85]

I own the trademark on black shoes.

Gimme my monies.

 

[Gallbaro]

Real designers use Diamonds.

 

[neptunes]

This thread is from 2011....

Lol, what a bump

 

[Chuckie]

So did they photoshop this sole to avoid problems?