June 2017. Sports clothing manufacturer Puma has suffered a painful defeat in the US after a court in California ruled it could not prevent rival clothing company Forever 21 from selling its Yoki sneakers.

Shameless copy

Puma believes the Yokis are a shameless copy of the Puma Fenty, which it launched in 2015 with the support of pop singer Rihanna, and claims they therefore infringe the Fenty design registered by Puma. Puma says it has sustained irreparable damage as a result.

Left Puma, middle Yoki, right design registration

Unsubstantiated losses

However, the court ruled that Puma had failed to substantiate the claim that its brand value had been damaged or that it had sustained financial losses following the arrival of the Yokis, and rejected the proposed ban. Puma is certain to lodge an appeal.