Fashion Copyright Dispute

The much talked about first run of the Dubai International Fashion Week has left controversy involving allegations of plagiarism in its wake.

The dispute started when a statement from the owner of the Bur Dubai-based IIM Events and Exhibitions, Ramesh Menon, said that the Dubai-based Concept Group was allegedly using a “misleadingly similar sounding trademark” to his company’s International Fashion Week.

It took us four years to build the trademark, our main demand at this stage is compensation and prevention of future misuse. Ramesh Menon, IIM Events

Aldrin Fernandes, CEO of Concept Group, however, refuted Menon’s charges.

“I don’t know what the issue is all about. First of all, we have not used their brand name. Our brand name is Dubai International Fashion Week which is not the same as International Fashion Week [IFW] and has a different get-up and logo.”

In a telephone interview Menon told XPRESS: “Our main contention is the usage of the trademark Dubai International Fashion Week [DIFW]. Firstly, because we own the trademark in the UAE, and that prohibits anyone else from using similar sounding names. Secondly, Concept Group do not yet have the trademark. They applied for it on September 17, 2006 and have not got it so far, yet they decided to do a show with that name.”

Speaking from Mumbai, India, he claimed to have sent a legal notice to Concept Group through his lawyers and has run a “cautionary advertisement” in Dubai newspapers.

“We are following it up with a legal case in the Dubai courts. We could have got a stay on the hosting of DIFW but didn’t in the larger interest of the business of fashion.”

He said he acquired a patent on IFW in 2003.

“We insist that they change the name from DIFW to something else. It took us four years to build the trademark. Our main demand at this stage is compensation and prevention of future misuse. We have taken up the matter with all regulatory bodies that help in trademark protection, including Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry [DCCI].”

Aldrin, however, maintained he had done nothing wrong.

“The words of the registered owner’s brand are all generic and can be used by anyone as a brand name.

“Besides, their brand name was registered way back in 2003 and yet they never actually hosted a fashion show under that name.”

Jehad Kazim, manager of Better Business Desk at DCCI, said she was “not aware of the controversy”.