China bans copycat architecture and restricts supertall skyscrapers
The Chinese government has issued a decree "strictly prohibiting" the plagiarism of buildings in the country and severely limiting the construction of supertall skyscrapers. More
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Festival in India offers Morag Myerscough "unequivocal apology" for copying her work
Sulafest music festival in India has apologised to British designer Morag Myerscough for copying her colourful pavilion design, promising to commission original work in future. More
Nirvana sues Marc Jacobs for using iconic smiley face logo
Representatives of rock band Nirvana are suing Marc Jacobs for using its copyrighted smiley face logo in the fashion designer's latest collection and campaign. More
Glass boxes "not in any way new" says Es Devlin following Lorde and Kanye's set design spat
Set designers Es Devlin and John McGuire have responded to singer Lorde's accusation that Kanye West stole the design of his latest live show, by stating that glass boxes are nothing new. More
Moooi fights back against knock-off products with authentication app
Moooi has given each of its products a unique digital identity that customers can access by scanning with a mobile app, to instantly verify the item's authenticity. More
KitKat loses EU court appeal for four-finger chocolate bar trade mark
Nestlé has lost a long-running legal battle to win the European trade mark for the four-fingered design of its KitKat chocolate bar. More
Kamarq launches colourful rentable furniture but pulls item after copying claims
Japanese furniture brand Kamarq has launched in New York with a collection of products that users can rent monthly, but pulled a design shortly afterwards amid plagiarism accusations. More
Levi's sues Kenzo for trade mark infringement over use of red pocket tab
Levi's has accused French fashion brand Kenzo of copying the famous red tabs of its jeans. More
Dubai Frame opens amid claims of copyright infringement
The controversial Dubai Frame has opened to the public, despite an ongoing copyright dispute with architect Fernando Donis, who won a competition to design the observation tower over a decade ago. More
Architects are suffering from "originality syndrome" and should copy more, says Winy Maas
Architects and designers are too obsessed with being original and should get over their aversion to copying others, according to a new book co-written by Winy Maas of MVRDV. More
Poundland set to challenge Toblerone's trademarked chocolate bar shape in court
Toblerone diluted its trade mark when it released a savings-driven redesign of its chocolate bar last year, retail chain Poundland is set to argue in the UK courts. More
"Call us dull, call us sellouts, call us gentrifiers – just don't call us copycats"
Architects shouldn't be stifled by their disdain for copying successful ideas, from Assemble's pop-up cinema to Shigeru Ban's cardboard structures, says Phineas Harper in his latest Opinion column. More
Poundland's mountain-inspired chocolate bar sparks legal battle with Toblerone
Confectionary giant Mondelez and British chain Poundland are locked in a feud over the discount store's new Toblerone-esque chocolate bar called Twin Peaks. More
Adidas faces lawsuit over Art Basel-branded trainers
The organisers of Swiss fair Art Basel have filed a lawsuit against Adidas for using the event's name and branding without permission on a limited-edition pair of trainers. More
IKEA's blue bag has been reimagined as a $38 baseball hat
Following on from Balenciaga's recent take on the IKEA Frakta bag, Los Angeles fashion brands Pleasures and Chinatown Market have made a baseball hat from the 40p tote. More
Balenciaga sells £1,705 version of IKEA's blue tote bag worth 40p
Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga has designed a large blue tote bag that bears a striking resemblance to IKEA's iconic Frakta bag, but with a significantly higher price tag. More
Jeff Koons recreates the Mona Lisa on a Louis Vuitton handbag
Artist Jeff Koons has teamed up with fashion house Louis Vuitton to create a collection of bags and accessories featuring imitations of some of the world's most famous paintings. More
26 Australian designers "hack" Jasper Morrison's Hal chair to call attention to knock-off culture
Melbourne Design Week has put the focus on Australia's legal replica furniture market with an exhibition of fake Jasper Morrison chairs that have been burned, cut, glitter-bombed and otherwise altered. More
Copyright has "gone too far" and ideas should belong to everyone, says David Byrne
Copyright protection lasts too long and should be shortened, according to musician David Byrne, speaking at a design festival at the new A/D/O space in New York this weekend. More
Bestselling IKEA bed infringes design right claims e15
German brand e15 is taking IKEA to Germany's highest court over a bed it claims is copied from one of its own designs. More