Pop star Rihanna has won a legal battle against Topshop which is owned by billionaire Philip Green’s Arcadia Group, over the use of her image. Britain’s Court rules that selling the sleeveless T-shirt bearing her image without her approval amounts to “passing off”, a term used to enforce unregistered trademark rights.
In 2011 Topshop only seek approval from the photographer to sell T-shirt with an image of Rihanna without her permission.
Rihanna’s lawyers said the image was from an unauthorised photograph taken while the star was filming a video in Northern Ireland for one of her singles in 2011 and Topshop should remain banned from exploiting it.
Geoffrey Hobbs QC, appearing for Topshop, which is part of the Arcadia Group, argued at the hearing that the court was dealing with a “decorated T-shirt” in a tradition of the merchandising of star images over the decades.
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