Anna Sui gave these t-shirts as a part of the goodie bags at her Spring 08 show. The shirt bears the faces of Don and Jin Chang, the owners of Forever 21. The shirt says, “thou shalt not steal”.
Side note: Of course it's the principal, but in my opinion, shoppers that are buying Anna Sui are more than likely not shopping at Forever 21. And if they are, it's not to replace what they were going to buy from Anna Sui. But I thought this was a brilliant way to stand up for yourself!
Useful legal info: "You can’t copyright your clothing designs themselves, but you can copyright certain design elements of your clothing. The distinction between the clothing itself and such design elements has to do with some basic principles of copyright law. Copyright extends to original, non-useful works of authorship, fixed in a tangible medium of expression. “Non-useful” means that you cannot obtain a copyright on a work that has a functional purpose. The so-called “useful article” doctrine is a barrier to copyrighting clothing designs, because clothing is considered to be “inherently functional.” But certain elements of clothing designs can be copyrighted. The design embossed or imprinted on textiles or fabrics—as opposed to the style, shape, or pattern of the finished garment—may be entitled to copyright protection. This means that designs or elements of a fashion may be copyrightable to the extent that the element can be conceptually or physically separated from the utilitarian nature of the article. - Jeff Neuburger, Business Attorney
For more info in this go to Expert Business Source
Thank you Seamsters
