Korean brand wants peace with Hermès
Following a five-year court battle with Hermès over alleged intellectual property infringements, South Korean handbag brand Playnomore has said it has now reached a consensus with the Paris-based brand.
Hermès complained in 2015 that some of Playnomore’s bags bore too much resemblance to some of its products, notably the famous Birkin and Kelly bags.
Playnomore makes extensive use of pop-art themes in its designs, with pairs of cartoon-style eyeballs one its trademark motifs. Nevertheless, Hermès has successfully argued in court hearings in Korea that the shape of some of the bags in Playnomore’s collections and other design elements are too close to the look of the Hermès products.
In comments to leatherbiz, Playnomore has said it hopes the dispute is now at an end. It said it wanted “parody art” and “wit” to be central to its fashion strategy, but said it respected the Hermès position.
