
Rihanna Racks Up $5 Milli After Winning TopShop Lawsuit
No one will get away with rocking Rihanna's pretty face without her permission and TopShop learned this the hard way. Bad Gal RiRi has won the legal battle against the high-end international clothing retailer. They've been selling an unauthorized sleeveless tank with a photo of Rih's face—a snapshot from her 2011 "We Found Love"—across the front.
The back-forth exchange has been a bit difficult. UK celebrities have no legal control of how their images are distributed and used, so getting the suit taken seriously was a struggle for the singer. However, the Bajan princess and her top-notch legal team found a loophole for their issue. Apparently if there was suggestion that the celebrity endorsed the product, it is seen as a forgery or “passing off,” a legal term meaning an unauthorized use of an image.
SEE ALSO: Rihanna Is Now The Creative Director Of Puma
That was good enough evidence for the judge to rule in Rihanna’s favor. This type of fashion faux pas for the fashion savvy Rih cannot be tolerated. The judge agreed that this kind of loss of control of her brand could damage her image in the fashion world. It also helped that Rihanna’s partnership with River Island is a close competitor with TopShop and that she's the new Creative Director for Puma.
The settlement included TopShop forking over $5 million (£3.3 million) and paying her legal fees. Rihanna proved any branch of The Navy is not to be played with.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Twitter