Never been a fan of Forever 21...

o man i love forever21 but they have a tendency to do this ALOTTTT. I would be pissed if I was Trovata too

Frankly, I'm on the side of Forever 21. Copyright infringement issues always, always, always have to do with money. And to be honest, I'm pretty sure that most people who are buying the copied designs off of Forever 21 wouldn't buy them off of Trovata (if they didn't exist on Forever 21) solely because of the price point difference. If they have a real issue, they should just make their clothing more affordable and maybe then more people will buy their clothing.

Besides, that's the nature of fashion. I mean, ideally individuals create their own style but more often than not you get mimicry and copiers.

I'm not a fan of Forever 21 at all, but seriously!?! Those look EXACTLY the same. I hope Trovata wins. It's one thing to be inspired by a shape or color, but its another thing completely to basically sell the exact same thing right down to the buttons.

magalaya [+] You wouldn't feel the same way if it was your hard-earned work. And look at that picture. Like I said in my comment, this isn't being inspired by a style or color or shape, this is remaking the exact same design with your name on it. Frankly this is one lawsuit that Forever 21 deserves to lose completely. You can be inspired by fashion and the runways, but you shouldn't be copying it exactly like this.

When you copy the decorative buttons and fabric patterns, it's hard to deny. I think I would have to side with Trovata.

While I love Forever 21 and shop there frequently, I do hope that Trovata wins. That picture sealed it for me - those are EXACT copies, not "inspirations"!!!!

Make better quality clothing and F21 won't be able to make decent cheaper copies of them, because we all know this is all about the money . F21 could copy JCrew, but it wouldn't be the same quality and I would still buy JCrew. Problem is so many high fashion designers rely on their label and popularity and shell out out an inferior synthetic product.

I agree with magalaya. I don't believe that Trovata really is losing money over this. People who can afford to buy Trovata will buy it because of the label and the quality. People who can't afford it buy from Forever 21 because it's priced right. They don't compete in the same market.

GET EM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i hate forever 21. DO SOMETHING ORIGINAL!!!

EkaterinaBalle:
While I do completely understand your point, my opinion is just that they cater to different audiences - clearly, Trovata is going for the wealthier, more upscale audience, whereas F21 is going the more affordable route. Copyright issues are always about money - they have literally become a tool of the emergence of the complex professional era and the cultural industries to only increase exclusivity and increase profit. Though I'm not going to deny that I lack knowledge of the background of Trovata so I don't really know whether they're a retailer or more of a fashion design house, I kind of see this as being an attempt to deny individuals who don't have the means to afford Trovata-price point items at a cheaper price. Yes, copyright originally evolved as a way to protect an artist's work, but generally as a tool in society today it's used to expand revenue generation.

That said, again, I think ideally people would be "inspired" but the reality of it all is that people often copy.

Love Forever21, glad there is a store you can get cute fashion for under a g.

I feel like F21 isn't the only one of those chain stores who do this...

Both versions of those shirts are hideous

can Trovata really argue that the placement of the buttons and the prints are original in that they are solely their design? I would argue not and all forever 21 would have to do is place the buttons 1mm left or right from where Trovata places their buttons... seems like a silly lawsuit to me

team f21!

i get that trovata and these other companies need to reward their talent in some way but I love getting cute and cheap clothes from forever 21!

I think the biggest concern with Forever 21 is whether it respects labor standards around the world, or just turns a blind eye.

It's one thing to get cheap clothes that are able to be so cheap because they rip off some expensive brands designs, it's a completely different thing to get cheap clothes that are able to maintain their low prices by violating human rights, often of children.

I have to side with the people who said Trovata should win.

I am sorry but we live in the 21st century. Intellectual property and copyright should be viewed as important as one's "property" just like real estate and other assets. I can't believe people are okay with companies that violate copyright. If none of us care to value human intellectual property, then who will be inspired to make good designs, good music, good films? Yes maybe a lot of it is about money. But we live in a capitalist society. Everything is rewarded and valued in terms of money. But that very fact does not give people the right to cheap off others.

In my opinion, this has nothing to do with "target audience" or "target customer". A copyright violation is a copyright violation. I am sure Forever 21 has the financial capability to hire designers to make their own designs that are just as good. But instead they choose to steal others' designs. It's a shame. And shame to those who are allowing that.

*cheat off

Doh! I own the one on the top right. :/

I agree with CAgirl25 and everyone else who is Team Trovata.

F21 should do a designer diffusion line, similar to Target and H&M, get up and coming (or already established designers) to design a line specific to F21. Modern Amusement would be perfect for them

Uh oh...

While in this specific case I am feeling Trovata's pain and I get there argument, the law protects orginal prints/graphics for a reason you can prove orginality with prints and graphics. And this is why they will lose this case. Where as with button placement, and "similar" styles it's much harder to prove. Each year on the runways top name designers put out similar styles in diffrent fabrications...this season it's the exaggerated shoulders etc...but that can't be protected because everyone would be suing everyone else.

My question is if Trovata truly has a "copyright" on something how is it that Forever 21 has gotten it's hands on identical materials? ( because it can't be copy written). It's still not cool though.

Jessie, you are so right "Problem is so many high fashion designers rely on their label and popularity and shell out out an inferior synthetic product. " it's the same material which you can't copywrite

Its not always about money -- designers are also artists who consider their work their art, and don't look kindly on people who steal their work. Its one thing to use something as an inspiration, another to copy it exactly. Those examples look like exact copies, not "inspiration" pieces.

While I agree that some Fashion is art this is not that type of case. A lot of designers have people working for them and designing so it's truly not even there "art work" being shown it's boils down to a name on a label and charging more for the same material...which cheats the Consumer!

I love F21 & I always see copies there, but I cant afford the real deal so its ok w/ me.

it's really interesting to read these comments, because i remember the ravings of mad women i read when Fab posted about Louboutin suing someone for using the red soil. People were furious and completely on Louboutin's side, but here it's very diverse.

Interesting - half of my closet is from Forever 21, but in this case I would have to side with Travota.

I just don't know why F21 had to EXACTLY copy these hideous shirts lol. It's quite obvious that they are the same and that this is more than "inspiration" - I think my belovedly cheap F21 went too far in this case, they really shouldn't have added those buttons!

I think Travota has a good case and will hopefully win - again, it's one thing to be inspired (believe me, I have my shared of "inspired" clothes) but another to do a copy to the exact details. I don't know how they thought that no one would notice.

At first I thought it said Travolta and was amused that John had taken to designing clothes now. He would DEFINITELY win in that case.

This is obviously copying, but it shows why I love forever21 in the first place:
the exact same look and style for a fraction of the price

copying trovota's designs? hello i dun see any "designing" in those clothes, just basic cardigans and tees which are very similar to others out there. i myself have two pieces that are 99% similar to those featured (not from f21).

trovota has no case at all.

bastylefilegirl, while you are correct in the assumption that many designers have people working and designing for the line, the fact remains that the design was *someone's* art, and it was stolen and copied exactly. There are a lot of assumptions flying around -- how do we know the fabric and materials, not to mention the workmanship (ie not made in china by slave labourers) are worthy of the price tag? I hope Travota does win, and the laws are revised to protect other designer's and their hard work.

That's what F21 does!

[Gasp!] I love F21...it's hard to know who to side with. People people who shop at F21 are looking for a deal, but to me this is as bad as plagiarism.

This is so bad, but the reason I shop at F21 is because it's affordable clothes that is fashion forward...if they didn't copy everyone else's designs, my clothes wouldn't look as cute! I can't decide! F21 are blatant with their rip offs...but where would I go to get dirt cheap, trendy pieces?

F21 always did this, can't say I'm not surprised. The worse thing I ever saw from them was when they copied Harajuku lovers That was just too much
http://www.shopdiary.com/2007/07/16/harajuku-lovers-sues-forever-21/

Anywho, I still shop there!

all designers get their inspiration from someone else, or some other source. but F21 was pretty blatant about knocking off trovata. F21 was just too lazy to change some of the design elements. for this they deserve to get sued.

Good point Magalaya.
The clothes do look very much the same, but then again for each season you can find the same thing in every single shop. H&M, Zara, Gap...all carry the same kind of top/skirts at the moment.

And just another note - since I am studying the cultural industries and policy issues i.e. copyright associated with it so I kind of have a lot to say about this - a really big problem with copyright is that historically, individuals had to physically register and SEEK copyright for their items (i.e. they would have to go copyright things if they felt it was worth copyrighting) but today, you don't have to. So essentially, everyone and everything can claim copyright and thus claim ownership and thus profits. For all we really know, Trovata could have been copying someone else's ideas and designs, they just didn't care enough to make a point about it.

In a nutshell, for the most part, this system of copyright much of the Western world has initiated with good intentions in mind (that of promoting art and ensuring incentive for good art) has totally gone to the dogs and been completely turned on its head.

I think another important facet to this argument is that there's definitely a hazy distinction between art and commerce. A key factor in my unwillingness to support Trovata is the idea that I don't feel that their designs are art. I feel that their designs are not one of a kind, that they're made (generally) for the mass public in mind and not to make any kind of "statement" that extends beyond a fashionable one; and most importantly, are not made for "social good" or to make an artistic, overarching critique or commentary on society, but are created to make money. That is my issue. If it was genuinely created for beauty, for aesthetic pleasure, questioning, and critique - I would think differently. But based on what this story is telling us, it's not; I feel like they created these items for profit.

Of course, the argument for both sides are very subjective and would very much depend on your individual interpretation of art and commerce and really, culture's role in society in general...so yes.

Team Trovata.
I'm sure lawyers could argue whatever they want but that's not inspiration, that's an outright copy. Of course the target audience and the materials are different but the haven't even tried to change a few things. It's lazy.

Omg, would all these designers drop it? It's forever 21! If they would lower their prices then maybe the ret of thepublic could afford their clothing! Half of these brands share factories with lower brand designers however they have the nerve to triple their prices. Go Forever 21!

"the fact remains that the design was *someone's* art"

That someone who is knowingly getting ripped off by their employer who gets to put his/her name on their work and charge insane prices because of the label!
There are labor issues on many brands ....even designer brands not just Forever 21 so lets leave that one at the door not many closet are free of these types of clothes. And in this case it's NOT art this is not an original design. The laws are clear they protect original graphics/designs which a striped polo with mismatched buttons is not. I mean if that's the case Abercrombie and Fitch should be suing Trovata for something they did in the 90's!

bastylefilegirl, "That someone who is knowingly getting ripped off by their employer who gets to put his/her name on their work and charge insane prices because of the label!
There are labor issues on many brands ....even designer brands not just Forever 21 so lets leave that one at the door not many closet are free of these types of clothes. And in this case it's NOT art this is not an original design. The laws are clear they protect original graphics/designs which a striped polo with mismatched buttons is not. I mean if that's the case Abercrombie and Fitch should be suing Trovata for something they did in the 90's!"

You're kidding right? You obviously have no clue. Designers who work under a label are compensated quite well, and they sign a contract that says any designs they produce become the property of the design house. Nobody is holding a gun to their heads, nor are they "getting ripped off" in any way, they *choose* to work in this capacity.

I completely agree with labour issues on every level of manufacture. Insane prices are being charged for made in China garbage by so-called high-end designer brands, such as Just Cavalli and Thomas Wylde. But I do not agree as far as "art" is concerned. The technical definition of art is to use creative skill to make something. Art is subjective as well. For example anyone can create a painting like that of Jackson Pollack, so what makes his art? Does that mean that Jackson Pollack's work isn't art? If it can be reproduced cheaply its not art? Anything can be reproduced cheaply, that doesn't diminish the value of the original. The way you're looking at it, no item of clothing can ever be called art -- because every item of clothing has already been created at some point. You aren't thinking about the aesthetics and thought processes that went behind it, and that's where the art comes in.

No I'm not kidding and I have a clue my opnion just diffrers from yours which is my right there is no need to get snotty about it. It's a fashion blog grow up!

none of those shirts are exactly alike.
i mean obviously they are fashioned after the name brand ones.
but thats the business.
theres dozens beyond dozens that thrive off of "fashion look a-likes". there are supposed to look the same at first glance, but any true fashion addict could spot the difference.
think of the fake prada & coach purses; look real similar but the logo is different.

if forever21 loses. someone else is just going to do it.
there will always be almost identical clothing for less. because there will always be those that can't afford 200 or more on one shirt.

Has anyone noticed that the Trovata shirts seem very basic and aren't even original to begin with. Yes, Forever21 had obviously made knockoff versions but really? I bet you could walked into GAP or Old Navy and get any exact shirt 2 years ago.

It's very difficult now to claim a copyright on any clothing since so much has already been done. And since I can't afford to pay designer prices, I'm going to have to side with Forever 21--how else would I be able to wear cute, trendy clothing? What are the rest of us supposed to wear, potato sacks?

Trovata should be happy they have clientele willing to pay for their clothing. It's really funny that they would sue over such generic-looking clothing. I agree with others that these pieces look like they could have come from the Gap or Old Navy. Really, Trovata? How is the button placement on ANY of those tops "unique"? In my opinion, LV would have much more of a case suing Bebe for the hideous replica of its gorgeous, crazy, heels (those red feathered ones featured in In Style and on Fabsugar not that long ago).

I hope Forever21 loses. Is it asking too much for them to put some of their own thought into their products and create their own designs? I'm all for protecting artists, whether they be authors or fashion designers.

I work in the clothing industry and Forever 21 are a bunch of leeches. They use to send a bunch of young fake Korean buyer girls to invade all the apparel tradeshows, steal everyone's catalogs and reproduce the same designs exactly down to the button. These days they pay leeches to invade runway shows, tradeshows steal catalogs/take photos and reproduce the designs few weeks later before the original designers. That Korean lady who owns Forever 21 is sitting at the top of her throne laughing at all of you people who buy from Forever 21 knowing they are clone clothes and fakes.

FOREVER FAKERS 21