Design Piracy
Design piracy means copying items made by other companies.
Probably starting around 2008, there has been a sharp rise in the number of websites selling latex clothing made in China.
Many of these sites use pictures copied from other - normally European - makers' websites, and claim to offer the item pictured. In fact, they are selling Chinese-made copies of original designs by European latex fashion designers. Not only that, but they are crude copies made from the pictures rather than the actual patterns themselves. There are many faults - bad finishing, poor seams, poor quality accessories such as zips and buckles, and a generally cheap appearance. Most of these garments are not even properly cleaned and arrive covered in glue stains and other marks which are very difficult to remove.
Another problem is that the latex sheeting used by these makers is of dubious origin. Unlike fashion-grade latex sheeting produced by companies such as Radical Rubber and 4D Rubber, it is very often not treated to remove allergenic proteins, and wearing it can carry the risk of a strong allergic reaction.
Some customers have been misled into thinking that these makers are resellers of original latex fashions designed by reputable makers because they use their pictures. Leading designers such as Libidex have reported customers writing in to complain about the poor quality of the garments they have received and demanded their money back, only to be shocked to discover that what they had bought was not a Libidex garment.
Many European garment makers have taken action against these sites and have been successful in having them removed by reporting them to their merchant services providers such as PayPal, Visa or MasterCard, whose code of practice forbids them to do business with companies that sell illegal or counterfeit goods, or breach copyright. However, new sites keep appearing, and latex shoppers are warned to be on their guard against them: the prices may look very attractive, but then you get what you pay for; and if you try to get a refund, the sellers are not interested!
Sources
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