Garment manufacturer, Mrinali, has asked a New York federal court to hold off on enforcing Valentino SpA’s arbitral award for costs against it in a copyright case, pending appeal. The company argues that it is only a small company and that it will be ruined financially if forced to pay now. A Milan arbitrator had awarded over $200,000 in costs and attorney fees against Mrinali, following a copyright case which it had taken against Valentino.

Mrinalini accused Valentino of unlawfully using its proprietary sewing techniques in its manufacturing process and claimed that the Italian luxury brand had copied Mrinalini’s designs and swatches, passing them off as its own designs and refusing to pay for them. Mrinalini also accused Valentino of of sharing the proprietary stitching methods with other suppliers, including Mrinalini’s direct competitors. Although the lawsuit had been filed in New York, Valentino gave evidence that an agreement was in place requiring any dispute related to that agreement, be referred to a sole arbitrator appointed by the Milan Chamber of Arbitration. Despite the agreement, Mrinalini sought to keep its copyright infringement suit in court, but Judge Vyskocil, in a June 2023 order, said she found no reason to do so and that it must bring its allegations of copyright infringement to an arbitrator.

The companies have been doing business together since 2006 but things turned sour in 2022 when Mrinalani registered a number of US Copyrights for swatches. Valentino claimed the swatches copied its own designs. Mrinalini then filed suit in New York against Valentino for unlawfully using its proprietary sewing techniques.

The arbitrator did not find in Mrinali’s favor and ordered the garment manufacturer to cancel its copyright registrations for certain swatches that he found, instead, to belong to Valentino. He also ordered it to pay the Italian fashion house’s costs.

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