Gentle Monster Sues Blue Elephant Over Alleged 99% Identical Product Designs
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Eyewear brand Gentle Monster’s operator, II Combined, has filed multiple legal actions against rival Blue Elephant, accusing it of copying product designs and retail space concepts. II Combined said it reported Blue Elephant to authorities in December, sought provisional seizure in March and June, and filed lawsuits in October under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act seeking injunctions and damages. Internal checks and expert 3D scans found high similarities: one comparison between Gentle Monster’s 2021 ‘JEFF’ model and a Blue Elephant product showed 99.9441% similarity, with many other items at 99% or 95% similarity. II Combined also alleges store design mimicry, pointing to similar sculptural layouts between Gentle Monster’s 2021 Shanghai store and Blue Elephant’s 2024 Myeong-dong shop, and claims a pouch design originally shown by Gentle Monster in February 2021 was later registered by Blue Elephant’s CEO in May 2023; II Combined has sought nullification of that design registration and is awaiting a decision. The company says it will take strong action to protect its brand identity and prevent consumer confusion.
