Bombay High Court Receives PIL Against Prada for Alleged Design Theft
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been submitted to the Bombay High Court, calling for the Italian fashion brand Prada to compensate Kolhapuri chappal artisans. This action arises from allegations that Prada has copied the design of the Kolhapuri chappal in its newly launched summer collection. The Kolhapuri chappal is recognized as a Geographical Indication (GI) under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
A group of six lawyers from Pune has filed a petition against the Prada Group and certain Maharashtra government authorities, stating, “The Kolhapuri chappal is the cultural symbol of Maharashtra.” According to the PIL, Prada’s Spring/Summer collection features ‘Toe ring sandals’ that are strikingly similar in both style and cultural heritage to the GI-registered Kolhapuri chappal, which is priced at over Rs 1 lakh per pair under the European brand.
The PIL was filed by Intellectual Property Rights advocate Ganesh S Hingemire on July 2, 2025. The PIL read, “The matter concerns the misrepresentation, cultural misappropriation, unauthorized commercialization of ‘KOLHAPURI CHAPPAL’ during an international fashion event held at a Spring/Summer Men’s Collection 2026 in Milan, Italy on 22nd June, 2025, where its genuine origin, traditional custodianship and Geographical Indication (GI) status were entirely overlooked. This Public Interest Litigation seeks directions and appropriate reliefs, including an injunction and damages/compensation for the unauthorized commercialization of a GI-tagged product, which has caused significant harm to the community traditionally associated with it, particularly in Maharashtra State.”
In response to significant criticism for allegedly plagiarizing the work of Indian artisans, Prada released a statement acknowledging that its summer collection was ‘inspired by Indian artisans.’ However, the petitioners assert that Prada has not provided a ‘formal apology’ or any damages, compensation, or entitled remedy to the artisans from Maharashtra. The PIL read, “The Kolhapuri Chappal is the cultural symbol of Maharashtra and has special public sentiments attached to it. The brand has privately accepted that its collection is ‘inspired by Indian artisans’; however, this acknowledgment surfaced only after facing widespread backlash on various social media platforms. This acknowledgment was given to the private entity and not to the applicant, makers of Kolhapuri Chappal, GI Registry, Government, or the public at large. The brand has not yet issued any formal apology along with any damages, compensation, and entitled remedy, and the statement appears to be merely a superficial attempt to deflect criticism.”
The petition also calls for government action to protect Indian traditional designs and to prevent international companies from infringing on GI products. The PIL stated, “The PIL aims to protect the rights of the affected communities and the public of India from such impugned activities by the international brand/entities. The respective government department should be directed to comply with the enforcement of the GI and establish strong policies/mechanisms pertaining to the protection of GI rights.”
Furthermore, the petitioners seek a public apology from Prada. The case is expected to be heard in the Bombay High Court.
