When does it become more than "inspired"

[Staci_W]

Last month I was at a bazaar. I stopped to look at some necklaces and the woman at the booth came over to tell me that they were Chanel inspired. They featured the double C logo and a bottle with the number 5.

I was thinking about this again today when I went into a boutique. They had a mannequin wearing an exact replica of a Van Cleef and Arpels necklace with Alhambra pendants on it. The boutique owner had never heard of Van Cleef and Arpels , but none the less it was a complete copy. It cost $18.

What do you ladies think? When does something cross the line from being inspired by to being a copy? To me featuring a signature thing like the double C or the Alhambra pendant isn't an inspiration. They are stealing the original designers work. Is this even legal?

Would you ever buy or do you own inspired pieces?

 

[Carrie357]

I've never bought such "inspired pieces" before, and I believe they should be called as counterfeits, nevertheless, they exist for a reason - that there are people who like the designs but cannot afford the price.

 

[hatbox]

I'd say they could be considered counterfeits and the company could sue, but I bet they don't because probably Chanel does not *really* get negatively impacted by badly made, $18 necklaces. The cc for sure, not clear about the alhambra clovers. This is different from mass produced high quality looking counterfeits being passed off as originals for high prices, in my opinion, which I think Chanel (or other brands) would care much more about.

Actually before I knew much about brand name jewelry (in my teens) I purchased one of these cc necklaces at a mall place for $18. I thought it was really pretty. Later on I learned it was a copy of Chanel! And I would not have known about the alhambra copies until recently being on TPF.

I would not buy that now! I also get slightly upset when I like something mid-priced at the store, only to realize that it is "inspired" by Hermes or something. I usually don't buy it if I know, since if I like it I want to save up for the "real thing"

 

[twin-fun]

It crosses the line when copyrighted or trademarked logos or signatures are used.