Independent Designer Wins Copyright Case Against Louis Vuitton
Image Source: us.louisvuitton.com
French-based fashion house Louis Vuitton has been ordered to pay 900,000 Euros after a seven-year long legal battle concerning the sale and distribution of accessories designed by independent designer Jocelyn Imbert, whose graphic lock design was used in Louis Vuitton handbags for a given period. Starting in 1992, every bag with Imbert’s design on it would lead to Louis Vuitton granting Imbert 75,000 Euros in royalties.
After years of discontinuing the design, Imbert discovered in 2014 that Louis Vuitton started using her graphic lock once again without paying her royalties. While the case was initially thrown out in 2020, the continued attempts by Imbert to receive her due paid off earlier this year in 2022, with Parisian courts detailing that Louis Vuitton’s overall payments to the fashion designer would total around 900,000 Euros.
This triumph of independent art design showcases not only an unwavering spirit from fashion designers and the value of their brand, but also the importance of knowing how to copyright your work properly so that no company or third-party can take from you what is rightfully yours. Even an independent fashion designer like Jocelyn Imbert is able to win her trial against a powerful brand like Louis Vuitton because her work was properly protected under a contract.
