Ser diseñador y comercializar ideas creativas constantemente, ya no es garantía de una exitosa estrategia emprendedora.

Lo anterior ocurrió a Charles Smith II, un diseñador tejano que se lanzó en contra de Forever 21, cuando descubrió que la cadena de fashion retail copió la idea creativa de uno de sus productos en los que se lee “Do not touch”.

A través de una historia contada por Yahoo Fashion (plataforma que ha invertido fuertemente en este segmento de contenidos) y tras testimonios hechos en redes sociales por el diseñador, este dio cuenta de cómo la cadena de retail había copiado el diseño de una de sus prendas.

I was going to keep silent about this and handle it legally but fuck that, @forever21 is a giant corporation that gets over on creating cheaply made designs made out of cheap ass Fabric that in a spin cycle of one wash is over before you even dry it. This fuck company ripped off a concept that I incepted January of 2016, as a designer I research every detail of design or concept that I plan to squeeze throughout the collections I create in variations, @donottouchs2 was was a simple idea that went untapped in both commercial & high fashion and I can honestly say and you can Google “Do Not Touch Fashions” and my shit pops up first. Do Not Touch has helped create scholarship funds for kids in a public school system that was built for them to fail and I created and came up with this collection not only to express but to create positive change through the platform I have in the little way that I can, so when giant companies such as @forever21 blantantly steal your ideas and not ask nor compensate you and let alone steal an idea that also belongs to the youth of our public schools, your not only taking money out of my families mouth but you are also taking dreams away from these kids and your taking money out of there pocket which goes to helping there transition into the next great phase of there lives. So @forever21 I know you think your untouchable you seriously have fucked with the wrong nigga, your lack of common decency shows you don’t respect young creatives who are trying to accomplish there dreams with our ideas, and sense you lack decency I also will do what I have to do to make you respect me and every other designer you have stolen ideas that you couldn’t incept on your own from. @vidakush @asherahswimwear @kimikouture let’s stand together and not let these giant companies or fake websites and IG profiles continue to theft our hard working ideas. #OurIdeasAreWorthSomething

Una publicación compartida de Charles Smith II (@smiththe2nd) el 5 de Mar de 2017 a la(s) 3:58 PST

Reacciones con el hashtag #boycottforever21, con el que el diseñador se suma a un movimiento que busca el que marcas de Fast Fashion como Forever 21 dejen de imitar prendas originales:

[Reposted from @/revoltingocs] Forever 21 steals people’s art, clothing and jewlery designs and makes a profit off of it. Please spread this around. Don’t shop at Forever 21. #boycottforever21

Una publicación compartida de -Moved- (@fuzzy.wuzzy.art) el 29 de Sep de 2015 a la(s) 11:36 PDT

Or even the second. . Seriously @forever21, this is disgusting. . #boycottforever21

Una publicación compartida de MOVING TO TUMBLR (@crypticasterisk) el 29 de Sep de 2015 a la(s) 4:52 PDT

¿Por qué es importante esta historia para un diseñador y qué podemos aprender de ella?

-Esta no es la primera vez que la marca se ve involucrada en una acusación de copiar una prenda. Diane von Fürstenberg demandó a la marca cuando esta cadena comenzó a vender un vestido con valor de 32 dólares, idéntico al vestido “Cerisier” de la diseñadora, con un costo de 325 dólares.

-La propiedad intelectual, al menos en mercados como el de Estados Unidos, resguarda logos, marcas y patrones pueden ser protegidos, sin embargo, la apariencia de la prenda, por ser considerado un bien utilitario, no recibe protección legal, sin embargo, textiles si pueden protegerse, así como elementos conceptuales, al menos esto de acuerdo a trascendidos de Art Law Journal y Legal Zoom.