Yves Saint Laurent Fights Back Against Christian Louboutin Lawsuit

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Last month, when Christian Louboutin filed a lawsuit against Yves Saint Laurent for trademark infringement because YSL occasionally uses red soles on its shoes, we were pretty surprised. Not only because Yves Saint Laurent had been producing red-soled shoes (see the pre-1991 runway footage in the documentary L'Amour Fou) long before Louboutin even started his shoe company, but because the idea of someone trademarking a color placement seemed preposterous—nearly as outrageous as a designer trademarking a sport image and forbidding the official sporting association from using it. Louboutin is seeking $1 million in damages. He claims he's the first shoe designer to use red on the soles of women's shoes.

The Telegraph reports that Yves Saint Laurent is fighting back:

Court papers filed in New York state: 'Red outsoles are a commonly used ornamental design feature in footwear, dating as far back as the red shoes worn by King Louis XIV in the 1600s and the ruby red shoes that carried Dorothy home in The Wizard of Oz.'

YSL also allege that Mr Louboutin was fraudulent in his trademark application claim that he had 'exclusive' use of the red sole.

· Yves Saint Laurent hit back at Christian Louboutin [Telegraph]