Judge: Ivanka Trump Must Give A Deposition In Lawsuit Over Shoe Designs
- 7 years ago
A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled against Ivanka Trump, requiring her to give a deposition in a lawsuit claiming her fashion brand copied another company’s shoe design.
A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled against Ivanka Trump, requiring her to give a deposition in a lawsuit claiming her fashion brand copied another company’s shoe design, reports the Huffington Post.
The judge submitted her decision Friday, stating in the brief, that despite Trump’s busy schedule, “it is nonetheless true that she is alleged to have personal involvement in the events at issue in this lawsuit. Accordingly, she cannot avoid a deposition in this matter.”
According to CNN, the lawsuit was submitted last June when Aquazurra Italia formally brought attention to the allegedly similar-looking product designs.
One of the examples that is cited involves a red high-heeled sandal with a tassled ankle strap and a band of fringe over the toes.
Pricing is also a factor in the lawsuit; while the Italian company’s shoe, called “Wild Thing,” reportedly retails for about $785, the Trump-branded version, called “Hettie,” sells for about $130.
The first daughter had tried to distance herself from the suit by responding in a brief that she didn't take part in the making or launch of the Hettie shoe, saying that her “involvement was strictly limited to the final sign-off of each season’s line after it was first reviewed and approved by the Company’s design team.”
However, the judge denied the motion, setting a deadline of October 2017 for the discovery process.
But the ruling does attempt to make it more convenient for the first daughter by limiting the deposition to two hours and suggesting a D.C. location where she currently lives.
A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled against Ivanka Trump, requiring her to give a deposition in a lawsuit claiming her fashion brand copied another company’s shoe design, reports the Huffington Post.
The judge submitted her decision Friday, stating in the brief, that despite Trump’s busy schedule, “it is nonetheless true that she is alleged to have personal involvement in the events at issue in this lawsuit. Accordingly, she cannot avoid a deposition in this matter.”
According to CNN, the lawsuit was submitted last June when Aquazurra Italia formally brought attention to the allegedly similar-looking product designs.
One of the examples that is cited involves a red high-heeled sandal with a tassled ankle strap and a band of fringe over the toes.
Pricing is also a factor in the lawsuit; while the Italian company’s shoe, called “Wild Thing,” reportedly retails for about $785, the Trump-branded version, called “Hettie,” sells for about $130.
The first daughter had tried to distance herself from the suit by responding in a brief that she didn't take part in the making or launch of the Hettie shoe, saying that her “involvement was strictly limited to the final sign-off of each season’s line after it was first reviewed and approved by the Company’s design team.”
However, the judge denied the motion, setting a deadline of October 2017 for the discovery process.
But the ruling does attempt to make it more convenient for the first daughter by limiting the deposition to two hours and suggesting a D.C. location where she currently lives.