"No Business or Manufacturing Relationship"
"'Sister Brand' Claims Are Clearly False Information"
Pursuing Civil and Criminal Legal Action
iicombind, the operator of Gentle Monster, announced on December 23 that it is preparing legal action against the eyewear brand Blue Elephant.
Since its establishment in 2011, Gentle Monster has attracted attention for its innovative designs and unique brand experience. The brand has been recognized for its originality and competitiveness in design, having attracted investments from global companies such as Google and LVMH-affiliated investment firms, and being selected as a collaboration partner.
Blue Elephant, founded in 2019, is a domestic eyewear brand that has consistently faced criticism for its product designs and store concepts being similar to those of Gentle Monster. Online, unverified information has spread, such as claims that the two brands are produced in the same factory, or that they are "sister companies" or "sister brands."
In response, iicombind stated that Gentle Monster has no business or manufacturing relationship with any other company operating an eyewear brand. Regarding the similarity in some product designs, the company explained that an internal investigation confirmed a high degree of similarity in at least 30 eyewear products.
According to the results of a 3D scanning analysis commissioned to an expert, Gentle Monster's "JEFF" model, released in August 2021, and a product from Blue Elephant showed a similarity rate of 99.9441%. In addition, several products were found to have similarity rates of 99% and 95%.
The company also claimed that similarities were observed in spatial design. For example, the Gentle Monster Shanghai store, which opened in 2021, and the Blue Elephant Myeong-dong store, which opened last year, had very similar approaches to spatial presentation, including the shapes and arrangement of installations. Gentle Monster also reported that a pouch product design it released in February 2021 was later filed and registered under the name of Blue Elephant's CEO in May 2023, about two years later. In response, iicombind filed a request for invalidation of the design with the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board in March and is currently awaiting a decision.
iicombind is proceeding with both civil and criminal legal actions to protect its brand and prevent consumer confusion. In December of last year, the company filed a complaint with investigative authorities against Blue Elephant, and in March and June of this year, it applied for provisional seizure twice to preserve damages. In October, the company filed a lawsuit for an injunction and damages under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
A representative of iicombind stated, "Over the past 14 years, Gentle Monster has grown into a global brand thanks to the dedication and efforts of countless creators and employees, as well as the interest and affection of consumers," adding, "We will respond firmly to prevent any further imitation of our brand identity and creative works, which damages our brand value and causes confusion among consumers."
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