A win for the sole of a luxury shoe

The Beijing Intellectual Property Court in China this month ruled in favor of luxury fashion designer Christian Louboutin against Guangdong, China-based company Wanlima in a legal battle over its famous red soles, which are trademarked, according to the Fashion Law Blog.

High-end designer brand Louboutin sued Wanlima for selling lookalike red-soled heels in several of its stores and at the department store Beijing New World Centre, contending it was a violation of China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law, the blog reported.

According to the court, Louboutin submitted sufficient evidence to “prove that (its) ‘red sole shoes’ product and red sole decoration have a high market reputation, have established solid connections with the relevant public, and have the distinctive feature of distinguishing the source of the product.”

The court awarded Louboutin the equivalent of $721,980 for damages and legal expenses of $64,245 and ordered Wanlima to immediately and permanently cease its sales of red-soled footwear.