Puma and Dolce & Gabbana fight over fur sandals

Two world-famous fashion companies are currently arguing over bath
slippers: Puma is trying to bar competitor Dolce & Gabbana from selling
sinfully expensive luxury slippers with real mink. The accusation: The
Italians had copied Puma’s own sandals. Now, Puma wants to obtain a
preliminary injunction against Dolce & Gabbana at the higher regional court
in Munich.

The higher regional court is already the second authority that has to
deal with the case on Thursday after Puma had lost the first appeal at
district court level. For a few years now, the sportswear brand has been
selling bath slippers with a faux fur strap designed by pop star Rihanna.
According to the higher regional court, Puma’s lawyers argued in the first
instance that the combination of classic flip-flops and fur brought the
bath slippers “out of the sweat and changing room corner” and also freed
the fur detail from the poodle and chihuahua corner.

Dolce & Gabbana, on the other hand, argued that the Italian beach
sandals are furred with real mink, thus considerably more expensive and
intended for a completely different target group. Accordingly, D&G’s
product costs just under 500 euros (580 US dollars), whereas the Puma
slippers are much cheaper. The district court in Munich had dismissed
Puma’s application for preliminary injunction. (dpa)