Rihanna has won a High Court case against Topshop, permanently banning the reatiler from selling an unauthorised T-shirt featuring her image
Rihanna has won a High Court case against Topshop, permanently banning the reatiler from selling an unauthorised T-shirt featuring her image.
At the court's ruling on Wednesday, the singer emerged victorious - not only is Topshop banned from using her image on garments in the future, but the Arcadia Group, which owns the high street retailer, was also ordered to pay Rihanna's estimated £919,000 legal fees.
Rihanna took Topshop to court after the retailer was found to be selling unauthorised tees with the singer's face on them (from March to August 2012), taken by a freelance photographer without the singer's permission on the set of her 'We Found Love' music video in 2011.
Mr. Justice Birss, who presided over the courtroom proceedings, said the permanent injuction over use of the 'unflattering' images was 'right and fair,' although the Chancery Division judge did find her exorbitant legal bill to be 'startling' and 'somewhat surprising.'
While Rihanna was hoping to have any unsold T-shirts returned to her, the court heard that all 12,000 had been sold and only five were kept for the legal action.
Rihanna previously won a legal battle against Topshop in August, after accusing the retailer of 'attempting to pass off' the T-shirts as a Rihanna-endorsed design.
In light of her collaboration with rival retailer River Island, the judge ruled the sale of the unauthorised merchandise would be damaging to the singer's 'goodwill,' which 'also represents a loss of control over her reputation in the fashion sphere.'
Topshop has been granted an appeal, so we're keeping our ears pricked for more news on the subject.
Watch. This. Space.
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