Who doesn't know My Brand's t-shirts, incorporating famous brands in the prints of their t-shirts? Brands such as Chanel, Hermes, YSL and Marc Jacobs. Their clothing have been worn by many Dutch celebs and are currently flying off the shelves.
Although I would not have expected anything less than these t-shirts being extremely popular among fashionistas in The Netherlands aka "counterfeit-heaven", it is also no surprise to me that Chanel has ordered My Brand to stop selling the "Chanel inspired" t-shirts (because Chanel considers them to be fakes!).
My Brand t-shirts are often called designer inspired, however I prefer to call it infringement!
Something may be called infringement if the sign used by the infringer is identical or similar to a registered trademark (including association with a registered trademark). In case there is a likelihood of confusion (which in my view clearly is the case here), a trademark owner can object against the use of the infringing sign.
And honestly speaking, I'm not sure why people would like to wear something which is obviously fake and not very creatively designed. Why not save up a little bit more and buy something from the designer self instead of a knock-off? I would suggest to steer away from wearing something that makes you look like a wannabe. In my opinion, a real fan of these much coveted authentic brands would stay true to the designer and not buy a cheap fake!
Two questions that need to be answered in this respect:
- would these t-shirts be equally popular if these brands were not incorporated in the prints?
- do you think it's fair that My Brand makes a profit using other designer's brands and fame?
Well, you be the judge and decide whether the My Brand t-shirts are designer inspired or simply infringement:
My Brand "Chanel" t-shirt vs. Chanel's interlocking CC logo
My Brand "YSL" t-shirt vs. YSL logo
My Brand "Hermes" dress vs. Hermès logo (they even copied the figurative element)