Paris Court of Appeal Confirms Condemnation of Jonak for Parasitism Against Chanel
The Paris Court of Appeal confirmed, on October 16, the condemnation of Jonak for parasitism against Chanel, ordering the company to pay €150,000 for economic damages and €30,000 for moral damages. The case revolves around shoe models that Chanel claims are too similar to its iconic beige and black "slingback" model, created in 1957.
The story began in May 2020, when Chanel sent a formal notice to Jonak, accusing the company of selling models that reproduced characteristics of six of its bicolor creations from the Spring-Summer 2020 collection.
Jonak denied the accusations, claiming that it had been marketing similar models long before this period. However, the Paris Commercial Court ruled in favor of Chanel in October 2022, ordering Jonak to stop selling its "Ivana" model, while rejecting some of the luxury house's other demands. Chanel decided to appeal the decision in November 2022.
The appeal court's decision goes further: the Court ordered Jonak to cease the sale of its "Dhapou" and "Dhapop" models in beige and black, as well as the "Ivana" model. Jonak is also prohibited from publishing content on social media that associates its image with Chanel, thereby strengthening the protection of the luxury house's image and distinctive style.
Intellectual property lawyer Julie Curto highlighted in a LinkedIn post that Chanel successfully demonstrated the distinctiveness and notoriety of its bicolor "slingback" model, which has become a recurring feature in its collections since 2015. Despite differences in materials and certain design details, Jonak's products have a very similar visual appearance to those of Chanel, as recognized by the Court.
Furthermore, Jonak's "Ivana" model also sparked accusations from Chanel for incorporating characteristic elements of the iconic interlaced leather and metal chain, originally created for the luxury house's iconic handbag in 1955.
By confirming Jonak's condemnation, the French justice system reaffirms the importance of intellectual property rights in protecting emblematic creations and luxury brands.
