PUMA has lost a patent case to Rihanna in a Luxembourg court. The case had been filed by Handelsmaatschappij J. Van Hilst (HJVH), the Dutch wholesaler of Puma, over its Avanti trainer.
HJVH filed a patent for the shoe’s design back in August 2016. Rihanna, however, had been named PUMA’s creative director in 2014. The Court of Justice of the European Union (EUIPO) observed that Rihanna had worn the Avanti trainer over 12 months before the patent was filed, citing Instagram posts from @badgalriri.
In the photo, the singer wore a white version of the shoe with a black sole, an image that was reposted by news outlets and throughout social media. Since the design of the Avanti was already made public, the registration was considered invalid. The Avanti had been launched in 2001 but received a remake in September 2023 through Rihanna’s FENTY x PUMA label.
The court also rejected PUMA’s argument that “nobody took an interest in Rihanna’s shoes in December 2014 and that nobody therefore perceived the prior design,” according to a press release.
“In December 2014, Rihanna was a world famous pop star, which means that her fans and the circles specialized in the fashion sector had, at that time, developed a particular interest in the shoes that she wore on the day on which the contract under which the star became Puma’s creative director was signed,” the court declared.
