A popular practice among consumers under the age of 30 is to
purposely search for better-value alternatives to items from
well-known brands. Started to gain followers on social media, this
idea has become a phenomenon, with entrepreneurs setting up
e-stores, boldly claiming to sell dupes (short for
"duplicates"). Others sell their own products
"inspired" by current trends. And while supply is
generally justified by demand, it raises the question of whether
duplicates are an innocent more affordable alternative or an unfair
profiting on the back of another. Public opinion is divided, but we
are going to examine what the law says.
In EU, protection against imitation is provided in three
directions - by protecting the signs used to identify products
(trademark), by protecting their visual appearance (industrial
design) and by prohibiting unfair competition through
imitation.
