Designer gives rival the boot

Luxembourg – French shoe designer Christian Louboutin has won a lengthy EU legal battle over trademarking his signature red-soled highheeled shoes.

Louboutin took Dutch shoemaker vanHaren to court in the Netherlands in 2012 after vanHaren sold similar shoes, with the Parisian designer insisting he had already registered the style in Europe.

“I can confirm Louboutin won the case. The Dutch company has to respect the trademark,” a spokesperson for the European Court of Justice said.

The dispute centred on whether Louboutin’s trademark involved a shape or a colour. vanHaren cited European regulations that shapes by themselves cannot be registered as trademarks.

Louboutin argued the use of a colour in a certain position – in this case a red pigment – can be.

Judges yesterday rejected the advice of their own lawyer, who said the red soles could not be trademarked. –