Cotton On Group sued for 'knock off' design

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
May 19, 2016

Australian lifestyle firm Cotton On Group (COG) is being sued by US designer Elektra Printz Gorsk for trademark and copyright infringement. 

The intellectual property dispute is being taken to the Australian Federal Court where Gorski will allege COG copied her trademarked brand Lettuce Turnip The Beet.

Gorski believes the “look and feel” of her logo was reproduced in a line of Cotton On Boday t-shirts and Typo home goods.

With a marketplace on Etsy, the Soho-based designer received a tip off that the shirts were being sold in Cotton On stores across Australia and New Zealand by an Australian-based Etsy dealer.

Gorski proceeded to contact COG, accusing the company of wilfully infringing her copyright and trademarks over her brand. COG denied the 'knock off' claims, resulting in Gorski's pursuit of legal action.

The case has been set down for mediation in August.

This is not the first time Cotton On has been involved in a copyright and trademark dispute. In 2008, Elwood successfully sued Cotton On for copyright infringement over a t-shirt design.