A US toymaker has claimed its hand movements have become sculptures for Vancouver-based company Aritzia – an alleged breach of copyright law.
A US toymaker has sued Vancouver-based fashion retailer Aritzia in a California court, alleging copyright infringement for its infringing designs.
San Francisco-based Tangle Inc. says Aritzia’s spring marketing campaign features quirky sculptures based on its line of twisting and tangling hand toys. He seeks up to $150,000 for the alleged violation, plus additional damages, as the jury deems appropriate.
According to the allegation, Aritzia’s shiny, multicolored snake-like sculptures wrap around clothing displays in stores and appear in social media marketing campaigns.
“The striking similarities between the infringing sculptures and the Tangle sculptures indicate that defendants committed their infringing acts willfully, willfully and maliciously, without regard to plaintiff’s proprietary rights in Tangle’s copyright recordings,” says the amended lawsuit, which was filed March 23. in the North Quarter. California District Court.
The lawsuit was filed in California because Artizia does a lot of business there, according to Tangle, although the alleged violations extend to Canada and the United States.
Aritzia has yet to respond to the lawsuit, according to court filings, but sent a statement to Glacier Media: “We are currently reviewing this case and the facts of this case. These sculptures were created by in-house Aritzia designers who strive to create a luxurious and ambitious everyday shopping environment for our customers. “The store’s visual offerings are seasonal in nature and have been removed in the normal course. »
goodwood@glaciermedia.ca
