Designer wins red sole fight

THE European Union’s top court has defended French fashion designer Christian Louboutin’s claim to trademark red-soled high heel shoes.

The European Court of Justice ruled that Van Haren, a Dutch company that sold similar shoes, had infringed the trademark.

The court said it did not matter that its shoes were different in shape. It said the registration of the trademark “sought solely to protect that application of a colour to a specific part of that product”.

Louboutin, who first designed his trademark shoe in 1993, using an assistant’s red nail polish, said in a statement that the fashion house “warmly welcomes this judgment” and would enforce it.