By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
An emblem on a shoe could influence how a brand is perceived and is tantamount to a trademark, the Supreme Court said Friday, delivering a ruling in favor of Italian luxury maker Salvatore Ferragamo against a Korean company.
The top court upheld a lower court's ruling that Daeho, Corp., the producer of Pierre Cardin shoes here, pay 200 million won in compensation and publicize the ruling to notify consumers.
According to the court, Daeho's emblem, consisting of two omega metal signs horizontally connected with a small metal rod, resemble that of the Italian fashion mogul, which could have been misconstrued as being that brand.
Ferragamo previously filed a complaint with the Intellectual Property Tribunal in 2005 and Daeho took the case to the Patent Court, however, Daeho was unsuccessful on both occasions.
Meanwhile, Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of French luxury maker Louis Vuitton against a handbag maker, identified as Park, in a similar case. The court said Park's bags, covered with an emblem consisting of the letters ``L'' and ``V'' with a square, circle, diamond and flower petal pattern, could clearly be confused as being a Louis Vuitton.