Adventures in Copyrights: Everybody Loves Louis

Mar 28, 2008 @ 3:40pm

We got into a little scuffle with our favorite (ok, our only) Fashionista contributing editor, Josh Madden, when he showed us the Ezekiel tote on the right.

We said, "Omigosh, they stole the Damier Speedy from Louis Vuitton! That's so wrong!"

He said, "But Ezekiel is a skater brand for sixteen year old girls. They can't buy a Louis. So why shouldn't they have this?"

We said, "Because they should have a Le Sportsac or a Gap or a Banana Republic, like we did when we were in high school."

He said, "But this is so much cuter. And Le Sportsac is overpriced."

We said, "But it's kind of against the law. And maybe if you colored all over it with paint pens, it would be better..."

And that was pretty much it. The Ezekial bag sells for $44 (also overpriced, Josh!) and the Speedy is $650 at eLuxury, which - trivia - is the only authorized online site to sell Louis Vuitton.

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 3:54PM

eluxury!

posted by Faylinn

Mar 28, 2008 3:58PM

Why bother copying an ugly, boring bag? If anything, copy one that looks good.**

**It's just common sense. And I'm against copying, really.

posted by etoilee8

Mar 28, 2008 4:11PM

Agreed. Faylinn. . . I choose. . . NEITHER.

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 5:04PM

Honestly, I'm getting so sick of your attitude on stuff like this. First: absolutely not true that it's against the law. And besides, if both of these are made by little kids in China, what's the difference? (If you've read the book by Dana Thomas, then you know what I mean.) I'd rather the small profit go to a little indie skater brand than a big profit reaped by a huge multinational conglomerate like LVMH.

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 5:45PM

So Ezekiel's message is that just because a girl is 16 years old and can't/won't/shouldn't spend $650 on a designer bag, it's OK to purchase and carry a knock-off? Tsk tsk. Shame on Ezekiel! They need to spend more time in product development creating their own ORIGINAL merchandise!

Note to Josh Madden: Fakes are NEVER in fashion!!!

;-)

- LVMHgirl

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 6:00PM

^ If you know nothing about Louis Vuitton, don't say anything. Louis Vuitton is made in France, US, Spain, or Italy, not by little children in China. Ask anyone who KNOWS the brand and they'll tell you the same thing. Don't go around saying things you don't know about. Idiot.

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 6:01PM

Um, disliking the lv bag doesn't mean the issue is less valid.

A phony is a phony, and only a phony carries a phony.

posted by stacy

Mar 28, 2008 6:02PM

I agree with Fashionista. This is hella-wrong. They could have at least used different colors or not put their little logo in alternating squares. It's such a blatant copy and if you've ever created something (cough, cough, guest at 5:04), then you know what I mean. And you know how much it sucks to have it ripped off.

Boring bag or not, Louis Vuitton has just as much a right to protect their designs as any little company who does something original.

The only thing that makes this situation a sticky one is the cost difference. If they both cost the same, it would be such a dishonorable thing to create something so similar.

If you want the LV, save up your pennies, it could take you years, and then buy it.

But if you think it's a ridiculous price to pay for a bag, why would you carry it around -- that only promotes their brand's popularity/covetability (so not a word) even more.

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 6:08PM

Umm yes it's against the law & Louis Vuitton is NOT made in China. It's made in either France, Spain or USA. I'd rather my money go to real products not cheap knockoffs.

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 6:11PM

Attitude? Again, a phony is a phony. Be it a bag or a biography. Our commonality is that I don't really weep for the sake of the company, rather it is the personal offense I feel when someone has tried to deceive me by pretending to own a fake item. I don't need to tell you why people are motivated to carry fake items, you're already on a site called fashionista, you no doubt understand the rules of the game well.

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 6:25PM

Copying this particular bag isn't against the law.

Copying the LV logo bag is against the law because you can't copy a company's logo, but there's no logo on this one. Anywho, they could have copied a cuter bag.

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 6:37PM

First off, it is definitely not a violation of any current US law to copy a fashion item (except for arguably patterns, which is why DVF can sue more easily)--as anyone who's paid any attention at all to the fashion industry's attemtps to lobby Congress to change the law would know. Secondly, before defending the luxury conglomerates, please go and get this book "Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster" by Dana Thomas; or at least this NYT review: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/books/review/Weber-t.html

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 7:02PM

this is ridiculous.
I am a 17 year old, and would NOT buy the ezekiel bag for the life of me.
It is blatantly obvious that that is an almost replica of the Louis Vuitton bag, colors, design, everything, so in a sense, that makes it a faux.
Technically, under copyright laws, it IS illegal to copy another person's copyrighted piece, as I am sure that all of Vuitton's pieces are copyrighted.
It is very similar, and the company can sue for copyright infringement.

posted by mmr421

Mar 28, 2008 8:03PM

both bags suck.

posted by Mode Monitor

Mar 28, 2008 9:56PM

If someone's going to buy the Ezekiel, why not just buy a Louis Vuitton knock off on the street? Anyway, it's hard when you're 16 not follow your peers, but it would be so nice if early on, girls would make up their minds to develop their own style and not be a part of the herd. You'll never find me with a Louis Vuitton because I cringe at the thought of brandishing a logo everywhere I go and LV is all about the logos.

posted by guest

Mar 28, 2008 10:03PM

This whole debate is, to put it very simply, annoying. I don't think copying anything is good or right, but its VERY difficult to argue that anything in the clothing and accessory industry can be attributed a copyright. I've been told point blank by those in the industry that companies like LV raise their prices every year, just to maintain their status as a luxury item. While I agree that a 16 year old does not need a LV (or whatever) bag, the copyright infringement of fashion is simply an argument of those who want to have over those who have not. As a professional living in NYC who could very easily buy a real Lois Vuitton (meaning, I work in Finance and don't sacrifice my rent to have this month's "IT" bag) I have a very very very hard time paying the price for it. Fashion has truly become a dictatorship, and those paying the price will most likely regret it later (unless it results in sugardaddies later). We should be able to pay our rent, save for retirement, and STILL be able to purchase things that are fashionable. Whilst these items ARE made of premium products and design, even the drop of the value of the dollar does not justify the increased prices. The ones who will truly pay are those maxing out their credit cards to stay "in fashion".

posted by guest

Mar 29, 2008 12:12AM

last time i checked, they were both just a checkered bag. nothing special about either one. And little punk kids know nothing of LV, but they sure love their checkered slip on Vans.

posted by guest

Mar 29, 2008 6:01PM

Alright...lets end this for good and for all! First off, I agree with whomever said, this bag is "ugly". It is!

Most of LV's stuff is 'drop dead gorgeous" and it makes you feel that way carrying it. When I was 16 or 17, even I wouldn't have been caught dead with a cheesy knock off like the Ezekiel one! (And I LOVE Ezekiel's hoodies, etc., and I'll guarantee you that I am NOT even close to 16 or 17!!!!)

REAL Louis V's are 'metal-framed' bags usually, and lined completely with a full-grain leather(NOT a half-grain leather)just like the one on the left...it has substance to it, unlike the one on the right, which is just an even UGLIER slouch knockoff! I have frequented thrift stores and shops, and second hand stores and, trust me, most of us older women appreciate when we can find a REAL "designer" piece for a lot less money. Since I live near Beverly Hills, it is not difficult to check on the authenticity of an item. And, trust me again, I can probably get the real thing, of course used, for considerably less than when new, usually in fantastic condition, and for maybe just slightly more than Ezekiel is charging for that....mmmmmm...monster!

So, if anyone is being "ripped off", it is the teeny-boppers whom are, unfortunately, not shopper savvy enough to recognize when they are paying way more for something than it is worth; presumably with credit cards from Moms and Dads that are closer to my age!!! I'll lay odds that, not only is that bag NOT made of a totally coated canvas and leather, with leather detailing and the inside logo of LV that goes into everthing that they make, but that it is bulky, cheap, and will crack within 3-6 mos., if it IS lucky enough to weather the treatment that it will get in High School! (You know, lockers, lockers, lockers, back seats of cars.....and all the rest of it!)

And for those of you young Fashionistas that aren't even close to the teenies that I have described above, Lucky You!!!!! You are that much futher ahead of the fashion game that is constantly perpetrated against unsuspecting consumers. Good Luck, and enjoy whatever you end up buying...if it makes YOU happy, that's all that matters.

posted by jenayams

Mar 29, 2008 8:44PM

LV Rocks!!!! And I am not sure if anyone read the article in the Daily News about all luxury retailers having their bags made in china and then shipping it to France or Italy and having the zippers attached there so that they can say that the bags were actaully made there instead of china!! I own a damier speedy, wallet, planner and messenger bag. LV screams luxury, and who doesn't love that? And for anyone who claims they don't like LV, they are just upset because they can't afford it! (Two snaps for that!!) BTW, there are plenty of cuter and fashionable bags with reasonable price tags for 16 year olds than that bogus Ezekiel!!

posted by guest

Mar 29, 2008 10:16PM

I agree with being sick of Fashionista's attitude on faux bags. A lot of the 16-year old girls I know who wear Ezekiel (or other PacSun-esque garb) would never be able to shill out the bucks for an LV. It's not fair to assume that just because YOU editors would spend an absurd amount of money for yet another generic-looking LV, everyone else (particularly TEENAGE GIRLS, most of whom are -surprisingly- not independently wealthy) has a moral obligation to perpetuate the funnel of economic recession. Bravo, Josh. Why SHOULD they spend that much money on something ultimately worth very little?
Oh yeah, and I'm sure you know that this sort of design does not fall under copyright protection. So it is not, in effect, against the law at all.

Lame, lame, lame, Fashionista.

posted by guest

Mar 29, 2008 11:32PM

Thank you for bringing my attention to this. It's upsetting, and not only because Damier Canvas is my favorite Louis Vuitton line: I believe in respecting original designs.

Catherine

posted by guest

Mar 30, 2008 6:16PM

yes, They are boring as well the originals, the kind of bags my grandmother has...

posted by guest

Mar 30, 2008 8:54PM

Jenayams: I think it is extremely nasty and tacky to try to claim that anyone who doesn't like or care about LV is just upset because she can't afford it. Suffice to say, I am a lucky person and if I wanted to, I could buy LV. But I don't like it. (I once endlessly made fun of my little sister when she bought an LV bag in high school. I now regret that, because I really hurt her feelings...but I was just trying to make a point about individuality.)Younger people who are obsessed with LV often strike me as lame, boring, not at all creative and bratty. Kind of like you come off in your post.

posted by guest

Mar 31, 2008 10:32AM

Exactly, not creative and bratty. The girls at fashionista can dip dye their tights, paint their shoes with nail polish and make beaded bracelets all they want. Boring!

posted by guest

Mar 31, 2008 10:52AM

eluxury.com!

posted by guest

Mar 31, 2008 11:30AM

I have visited a Louis Vuitton factory so I know that their workers are genuine craftspeople who have real apprenticeships and great working conditions. It's a world away from the sweat shops of some other brands (which includes some so-called luxury brands). LV get my vote and my money everytime.

posted by guest

Mar 31, 2008 1:18PM

Anything that "screams luxury" is tacky, I'd prefer something that whispers it quietly. And the
Ezekial bag is not, by any stretch, at all illegal. The check is not a unique pattern at all, and for that matter the shape of the bag itself is pretty standard. And there is absolutely no way any consumer would confuse the two bags, so I don't see the problem. I think the previous poster was right, the pattern would appeal more to the skater girls as a reference to the checkered vans than as a LV ripoff.

posted by LittleLola

Mar 31, 2008 9:34PM

I feel like this is becoming an irritating Fashionista habit -- crying out "Copycat, copycat!" It reminds me of arguments that my little sister and I would have when we were under the age of 10. "You're copying me!" "Mom, tell her to stop copying me!"

But out of all of these "Adventures in Copyright" posts, this one irritates me the most. The game of checkers originated many, many years ago. LV did not invent the checkerboard pattern. The shape of the bag is extremely simple, too.

It would be one thing if it was a very unique design that was getting ripped off. But come on.

posted by guest

Apr 03, 2008 8:03PM

FYI you now can e-shop Louis Vuitton through LV's official Web site.

http://www.louisvuitton.com/

Catherine