‘Zara should share benefits from ‘copied’ designs with MaXhosa’

Parliament’s Select Committee on Trade and International Relations want international clothing brand Zara to share the profits it has accumulated from the ‘copied’ sock designs by local designer Laduma Ngxokolo of MaXhosa brand.

Zara has been accused of stealing designs of the local MaXhosa and selling them in their stores. The designer has threatened legal action against the stores.

In response, Zara said that based on the seriousness of the matter and in respect of individual creativity it has decided to remove the items from its stores and also initiated an investigation into the matter.

“As a preventive action, the process to immediately remove this item both from the stores and online was activated at the moment the situation was brought to our attention.
The company has already started internal investigations and will contact Maxhosa’s representatives to clarify and resolve the situation as swiftly as possible.’ reads Zara’s statement.

However, the parliamentary committee said that while it welcomes the decision by Zara to remove the items from its stores, the move alone is not enough.

“It should not end there, Zara should share with Laduma Ngxokolo whatever benefit was accrued illegitimately. This is theft, nothing more, and it necessitates the protection of the small guy through stringent copyright legislation,” said Select Committee on Trade and International Relations chairperson, Eddie Makue.

Makue said that there were a lot of these unfair case where the ‘small guy’ was not acknowledged.

He added that the committee also supported the action taken by the designer in ensuring that he benefits from his creations.

-TNA Reporter