A multiyear legal skirmish between two 3D fashion technology providers has come to an end, with a Chinese court ruling that large-scale commercial piracy took place.
CLO Virtual Fashion, a 15-year-old garment simulation company known for its 3D garment design software, digital asset management and design development collaborative platforms, prevailed in an intellectual property suit against Zhejiang Lingdi Digital Technology Co. Ltd., the company behind Style3D.
The Zhejiang Provincial High People’s Court decided that the latter committed computer software copyright infringement in a final, binding judgment. The court found that Linctex perpetrated “prolonged, large-scale, and frequent” use of “cracked” versions of CLO software in its commercial operations, CLO revealed in a statement this week.
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CLO’s software allows users to digitally merge and consolidate the components of digital garments through its 3D Cloth Simulation Algorithm.
The willful infringement against CLO’s software copyright resulted in the court dismissing Linctex’s “fair use” defense because the Style3D maker utilized the technology for a direct commercial purpose. Effective immediately, the judgment asserts CLO’s rights and interests against its competitor by ordering Linctex to stop its infringing activities and provide compensation to CLO.
CLO said the ruling underscores China’s ambition to strengthen IP protection and improve the business environment in the country.
“We sincerely respect and thank the Chinese judicial authorities affirming the severity of the violations. This outcome fully reflects the importance China places on intellectual property protection. It sends a crucial signal to the entire industry about respecting and adhering to the rules, and it strengthens our convictions about deepening our commitment to the Chinese market,” said Simon Kim, CEO of CLO Virtual Fashion.
“We pursued this case to protect not only our own innovations but the stability of the entire digital fashion ecosystem. Brands and companies need to know that the tools they rely on are stable, secure, and built on sound foundations,” Kim added.
The CEO said CLO remains committed to the Chinese market for its long-term growth, and that it aims to “empower the digital transformation of China’s fashion industry through localized product development, responsive technical support, and deep collaboration with ecosystem partners.”
