A Vancouver store owner is accusing Khloe Kardashian's clothing company Good American of copying a slogan that she said she鈥檚 been using for years.
Tamara Komuniecki runs the Vancouver boutique , emblazoned with slogan: 鈥�.鈥�
While she notes the phrase is trademarked in Canada but not in the United States, she was still dismayed when she saw the phrase pop up stateside on Friday.
Last week, her slogan 鈥淪trong as a Mother鈥� also showed up on the website and of a mom-themed apparel company co-owned by reality star Khloe Kardashian.
鈥淚 just really think it鈥檚 dirty pool because they have such a big budget [and] such a big team. For them to kind of bulldoze over the little people and take it for their own is absolutely not right,鈥� she told 麻豆影视 Vancouver.
鈥淚 don't want to get a lawyer involved. I don't want to face their legal team because they have money I will never have to be able to defend themselves,鈥� the journalist-turned-entrepreneur added.
Komuniecki claims Kardashian鈥檚 company is perpetuating copyright infringement. She argues that because of the Kardashian鈥檚 estimated net worth of approximately US$40 million, that her team should have had the resources to come up with another slogan.
For now, she hopes the reality star eventually removes any apparel bearing slogan.
McMillan LLP lawyer Ryan Black told 麻豆影视 Vancouver that 鈥渋ntellectual property issues are kind of territorial.鈥�
鈥淲e do have treaties that go across different countries that allow a party in one country to enforce against a party in another country,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can have a very strong Canadian trademark that will prevent anybody from trading on your brand in Canada, but it may not be of any value in the United States or India or China or other place."
鈥淚t's tough to tell who's really right and it's a big fight to get there," said Black. Komuniecki lamented that, "I don't think I have a lot of options, I don't think I have legal recourse and I wouldn't even go down that avenue if I did.鈥�
麻豆影视 Vancouver reached out to Good American for comment on this story, but the company hasn鈥檛 responded.
FANS HAVE CRITICIZED KARDASHIAN ON INSTAGRAM
An Instagram account associated with Delish General Store even commented on Kardashian鈥檚 company page.
鈥淲ow I love that first tee. I love it so much I actually hold the trademark on the expression on t-shirts,鈥� the comment read. 鈥淥urs is the original, hope people can see our authentic, original small business and support us. Strong mamas support each other, not step in on each other鈥檚 hustle鈥︹��
But that comment was just one of dozens.
Droves of Komuniecki鈥檚 supporters also took to social media to voice their disappointment. One commenter on Kardashian鈥檚 post wrote, 鈥渢his is a rip off of a Vancouver company,鈥� with another writing, 鈥渟orry this originated in Canada first. It鈥檚 time you ladies be original and think of your own stuff.鈥�
Another person praised Komuniecki saying, 鈥渢his is already branded in Canada by a very talented and hard-working lady from Vancouver.鈥�
This isn鈥檛 the first time the Vancouver store owner has dealt with copycats.
But other cases have involved smaller creators who she managed to convince to stop selling their similar items. 鈥淪o many of those women say, 鈥榊ou know what? Okay, I鈥檒l back off. I鈥檒l do something else,鈥欌�� she said.
Further complicating the issue is that Black said a different American company owns the U.S. trademark on a similar slogan. And since it does, it is potential grounds for that company to go after Komuniecki if she ever sells her products in the states.
It should be noted that the phrase 鈥淪trong as a Mother鈥� wasn鈥檛 Komuniecki鈥檚 original idea either.
On her store鈥檚 website, a post recounts how, several years ago, Komuniecki saw an image on Instagram of a 鈥渞adiant young woman鈥� wearing a T-shirt with the phrase 鈥榮trong as a mother鈥� on her chest.
鈥淸She] was pleased that it was created by a real person and was not a brand or product invented by a huge company, following a focus group,鈥� the post read, 鈥淭amara purchased the rights to produce them in Vancouver.鈥�
The company鈥檚 post then describes how Komuniecki took that phrase to build up her company to where it is today. But after the whole ordeal, Komuniecki said she鈥檚 somewhat grateful.
鈥淚 can certainly get the word out about my brand. It's caught people's interest,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ehind my brand is a mom who's spent over two years and hours and hours and hours, into the wee hours of the morning at the warehouse pulling orders.鈥�
