Karen Millen wins design ‘copy’ case against Dunnes

A BRITISH clothing company has won its High Court action alleging Dunnes Stores breached European regulations by copying a woman’s shirt and top. Dunnes will have to account to the Karen Millen (KM) chain for profits made on sales of the copied garments, which were sold through its Savida range.

In a landmark judgment, which centred around the first interpretation by a court of a 2002 EU regulation on protecting fashion designs, Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan found against Dunnes Stores in the first of three cases to be taken against it by KM’s parent company, Mosaic Fashions.

The judge will later hear similar actions being taken by Coast Ltd and Whistles Ltd, also owned by Mosaic.