Rihanna Wins Legal Battle Over Topshop T-Shirt

Rihanna Wins Legal Battle Over Topshop T-Shirt

Rihanna has won her legal battle with Topshop over the t-shirt the high street brand printed without her consent.

Rihanna is seen court side during the NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, USA,
Rihanna is seen court side during the NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, USA,
ABACA/ABACA Press France

The Court of Appeal has now banned the store from selling the item (which has her face printed on it) following a ruling on celebrity image rights.

The unauthorised photo was taken while the singer was shooting a video in Northern Ireland back in 2011, according to Rihanna's lawyers.

Geoffrey Hobbs QC, a representative for Topshop, argued that the t-shirt was manufactured in the same way former items featuring celebrity's faces had been. He said it was simply a "decorated T-shirt", reports Sky News.

Mr Hobbs also implied Rihanna and her legal representatives were wrong to assume that "only a celebrity may ever market his or her own character".

Topshop

However, the fact that the star never gave Topshop the go ahead is clearly the issue here.

Tania Clark, partner and trade mark attorney at Withers & Rogers, a leading intellectual property firm said, "Using imagery of well-known individuals can generate a great deal of revenue for celebrities and retailers alike.

"However, rash decisions to implement product lines including a celebrity's image without the relevant permission may cost a retailer dearly in terms of damaged reputation and legal proceedings."

We're guessing the singer is pretty pleased with the end results of the hearing, though she's probably got a lot on being the new creative director of Puma and all.

WATCH: Catch up on all the latest Rihanna news right here.

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