Men's fashion labels in court over accusations of copy-cat clothing

Men's fashion labels in court over accusations of copy-cat clothing


Two leading Australian men’s fashion labels have gone head to head in the Federal Court over accusations of copy-cat clothing.

Menswear brand Calibre claims rival label Politix, which has Harry Kewell as its face, "took too much inspiration" from a blue shirt in its summer 2010 range and is selling its own version as part of its current collection.

Following mediation, Calibre says Politix has agreed to destroy all remaining stock from the shelves.

Calibre general manager Andrew Petersen says he was compelled to take legal action against Politix in the Federal Court after discovering three shirts available for sale in Politix stores in late 2011 and early 2012 that were overwhelmingly similar to registered Calibre designs.

“Calibre has a proud history in the Australian fashion industry and we have worked hard to build our successful reputation over the past 23 years,” Petersen says.

“We are proactive in registering our original designs and are not afraid to take action where necessary in order to protect our intellectual property rights. We are very pleased with the outcome in this matter against Politix.”

Politix denies it has infringed copyright.

“Politix continues to deny any infringement. Calibre discontinued its court action with no court orders and each party agreed to pay their own costs,” a spokesperson says.