The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against Italian luxury fashion brand Prada for its alleged unauthorised use of the traditional Kolhapuri chappals in its high-end footwear line, questioning the legal standing of the petitioners.
A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne took strong exception to the PIL filed by five advocates, stating that none of them had any legal right or proprietary claim over the iconic Kolhapuri sandals, which enjoy protection under the Geographical Indications (GI) of Goods Act.
“You are not the owner of this Kolhapuri chappal. What is your locus and what is the public interest? Any person aggrieved can file a suit. What is the public interest in this?” the bench asked, underscoring that only the registered proprietor of the GI tag could move the court in such matters.
The petition alleged that Prada’s recently released ‘toe-ring sandals’ from its spring/summer collection bear a striking resemblance to Kolhapuri chappals, which have deep cultural and artisanal roots in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The footwear is priced at around ₹1 lakh per pair.
However, the court maintained that since the petitioners were neither the registered proprietors of the GI nor directly affected, the PIL lacked merit and was not maintainable. The bench stated it would deliver a detailed order later.
