A fake Gucci restaurant opened in Russia

After Gucci's farewell to the Russian market, the hunger for fashion remains alive on the streets of Moscow. And that is why rappers Egor Creed and Timati, together with restaurateur Anton Pinsky have opened a Gucci Café in the Russian capital that, of course, is in no way related to the real Gucci. Perhaps it is in order to avoid too blatant a copy that the trio thoughtfully spelled the café's name backward, even though the sofas inside are covered with the GG monogram - needless to say, the effect is unpleasantly reminiscent of those fake handbags found in local markets covered with ambiguous monograms reminiscent of the brand. According to The Fashion Law, the three founders «have also proactively pushed back against any impending claims from Gucci, arguing that they are not infringing any of the brand’s rights because they are operating a restaurant and seeking registrations for EFAC ICCUG – not GUCCI CAFE. [...] In terms of additional defenses, Pinsky may argue that Gucci lacks a registration for its name in connection with restaurant services».

The case is a dangerous precedent given that it could represent the point of no return after which copyrights will no longer be recognized in Russia, effectively opening the door for any entrepreneur to launch businesses under false and misleading names, or exploiting legal gimmicks to get away with even in the face of evidence. Something similar happened when a Vietnamese company that created an "apocryphal" Peppa Pig named Wolfoo won the lawsuit filed by One Entertainment in Russia (the one in the UK is still open) for copyright infringement. In the following month, April 2022, the Russian government also issued a decree that essentially allows anyone to infringe the copyrights of companies belonging to enemy nations-that is, 49 states including the U.S. and European Union.