Rihanna Wins Topshop Battle

RIHANNA has won a court ruling in London today, which bans Topshop from selling T-shirts bearing her image.

The garments, released in 2013, featured an image of the singer without her authorisation, and Rihanna subsequently won a legal battle with the store after the judge agreed that the items fell foul of “passing off” laws, and were likely to cause confusion for customers. Arcadia, which operates Topshop, then appealed this ruling in 2014, the result of which was passed down today.

“This judgment affirms the principle that use of a celebrity’s image on a product could mislead the public into believing that it is officially endorsed by that person,” Arty Rajendra, Partner at IP law firm Rouse Legal, said today. “It’s a natural update of the law of passing off in the modern world – celebrity merchandising rights are extremely valuable, and huge investment is often made into cultivating and sustaining a particular image. It’s right that unlicensed manufacturers should not be able to take advantage of that investment and that customers are not deceived into thinking they are buying ‘authorised’ products.”

Topshop has one more right to appeal, through the Supreme Court, which could prove challenging and costly, meaning that Rihanna may have won the war as well as this latest battle.

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