LV sues designer over T-Shirt design for good cause

[simplysplendid]

The designer has designed a T-shirt to raise awareness for genocide in Darfur. However, her T-shirt shows a little boy carrying a little dog and a LV lookalike handbag. You can read more about it here

http://www.nadiaplesner.com/

I think it is a poor PR move by LV and I support the designer. What do you think? Anyway, I have left my feedback to LV on their "contact us" page on their website. I will not purchase any LV handbags and thank god, I just can''t appreciate their bags, especially the brown canvas ones with "LV" all over (no offence to those ladies who love LVs).

 

[neatfreak]

I don''t know that it is a really huge bad PR move by LV because most of their clients quite frankly probably don''t care about Darfur (not saying you, you obviously do, just many of them) and she is pretty clearly infringing on their copyrights AND implying that their product is bad...so from purely business perspective I understand why they did it.

But I agree that they could have handled the situation in a nicer way.

 

[ljmorgan]

I don''t know the whole background story, I would hope that LV first asked the designer to change the shirt. If the designer refused, LV has every right to sue -- the shirt is theft of their intellectual property and design.

 

[simplysplendid]

Date: 4/28/2008 6:15:54 PM
Author: *Lindsey*
I don''t know the whole background story, I would hope that LV first asked the designer to change the shirt. If the designer refused, LV has every right to sue -- the shirt is theft of their intellectual property and design.

Yes, the designer refused and she explained her reasons to LV for refusing. And I saw from another forum that LV is suing her for EUR5000 per day for each day she sells a t-shirt, EUR5000 per day for each day she posts the LV letter she receives on the website and EUR5000 per day for having the name "Louis Vuitton" on her website.

To me, this is ridiculous because this means that a lot of fashion bloggers should be sued. Even artists in paris who may have used the chanel logo or LV logo in their paintings about Paris should be sued. Caricaturists and cartoonists who has at some point in time used certain brands in their illustrations of certain situation should be sued. I guess even newspapers who published articles about designer handbags should also be sued.

LV is an iconic luxury item. The designer has not produced any counterfeit LV product or replicate any LV designs. She is putting an icon in her artistic expression which suggests that perhaps we should "divest" our $ from luxurious items to those in need. Just as many others have raised in various forums, was Andy Warhol sued for his Campbell soups paintings?

I guess it is interesting to see the different perspectives and I am sure not everyone will be on the same page on this.

 

[simplysplendid]

Date: 4/28/2008 6:06:51 PM
Author: neatfreak
I don''t know that it is a really huge bad PR move by LV because most of their clients quite frankly probably don''t care about Darfur (not saying you, you obviously do, just many of them) and she is pretty clearly infringing on their copyrights AND implying that their product is bad...so from purely business perspective I understand why they did it.

But I agree that they could have handled the situation in a nicer way.

Hi Neatfreak, I may have missed something out which you didn''t - I don''t recall seeing her saying that their product is bad?? I think it is an interesting case as many feel that she has not infringed copyrights - she would have if she designed a handbag that looks just like the LV bag that is on her T-shirt. She is not selling a T-shirt based on the LV lookalike handbag, she is selling a T-shirt based on her art which raises awareness of the plight of a group of people. And those who buys into the need for charity on these people will buy her t-shirt. It might not be Darfur, it might for the homeless, or for the orphans.

A brand generally carries with it a certain image, the company''s reputation and also the quality of its product. Yes, there will still be followers of LV who is not likely to give them up, but the wider public including those who are not buyers of luxury goods and I believe some potential buyers (like me) are probably turned off by the approach taken by LV. While there are many who thinks that she deserves to be sued, I think there are also others who are thinking that LV is a cold and unfeeling company that sells luxurious items to the rich/or those who can afford it. That is why I feel that it is a bad PR move..

 

[coatimundi_org]

What's very interesting about the image is that it is a replica LV bag which creates a myriad of meanings. Fake LV bags are manufactured in China. Global corporatization further increases economic disparity worldwide, but people are image conscious to no end. In the US, we're inundated with images of heiresses running around with little dogs and designer bags while half of the world's children live in poverty.

The image is heavy handed, but potent all the same. I'm usually one for more subtlety in political art, but in this case, I think it's well done, as subtlety is often lost on those who are in direct need of the message.

I found this image of a LV car on the internet. Has the owner of this Chevrolet been sued by LV? heh heh, LV Chevy.

What about the Mel Brooks film, "High Anxiety?" Remember Madeline Kahn stepping out of the LV car in her LV suit? I don't think the actual LV monogram was used in that film (the artist did not use the actual logo either), but it was supposed to represent that. Was Mel Brooks sued?

 

[LegacyGirl]

Date: 4/28/2008 6:06:51 PM
Author: neatfreak
I don''t know that it is a really huge bad PR move by LV because most of their clients quite frankly probably don''t care about Darfur (not saying you, you obviously do, just many of them) and she is pretty clearly infringing on their copyrights AND implying that their product is bad...so from purely business perspective I understand why they did it.

But I agree that they could have handled the situation in a nicer way.

It''s not as clear as you think. If you look at the bag it''s not the same pattern as the LV bag- this is where the debate will be. Did she change enough of the bag to make the design ok is what the question is going to be.

 

[simplysplendid]

Perhaps LV could have struck a deal with the designer, employ her and her design, make the design acceptable to LV then sell the t-shirts as limited editions for $900 a pop..