Gentle Monster operator I&I Combined announced legal action against domestic brand B (Blue Elephant) for allegedly copying 33 of its eyewear designs and even aspects of its store and pouch designs. The company says 3D scans showed very high similarity—28 models over 95% and 13 nearly 99%—and estimates damages could exceed KRW 20 billion (about $15 million) if roughly 40% of Blue Elephant’s recent three-year sales are counted. I&I Combined filed criminal complaints, sought provisional seizures, and brought unfair competition and damages lawsuits under Korea’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act; it also requested invalidation of Blue Elephant’s registered design at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Blue Elephant denies the products are legally protectable and says it will defend itself. Gentle Monster emphasized the time and resources needed to create original designs and warned that protection of intellectual property is vital for global collaborations (e.g., a reported partnership with Google) and Korea’s cultural competitiveness.
