Seraphine accuses rival Jojo Maman Bebe of copyright infringement

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Sep 2, 2019

Seraphine is seeking an injunction to stop rival childrenswear brand Jojo Maman Bébé from selling five styles which it claims have been copied.

Seraphine, which rose to prominence when the Duchess of Cambridge wore one if its designs in the first official pictures with Prince George, has claimed Jojo Maman Bébé infringed its copyright by copying five of its designs, including a breastfeeding shawl.

The Sunday Times reported that Seraphine’s founder Cécile Reinaud first became suspicious when the brand received a number of orders to be delivered to JoJo Maman Bébé’s office.

“We were a bit concerned. When we looked at it more closely, the products were ordered, and six to eight months later a similar product came to the market,” Reinaud told the newspaper. “It was becoming too much of a pattern.”

Jojo Maman Bébé, which sells maternity, baby and children’s styles, claimed the products were bought by members of staff because they were pregnant.

But the retailer’s lawyers admitted none of them was pregnant when the purchases were made, according to Seraphine.

Jojo Maman Bébé founder Laura Tenison has denied Seraphine’s complaint of copyright infringement. “Allegations of copying are totally unfounded, unsubstantiated and simply wrong,” she told The Sunday Times.