UK-based Greek designer Mary Katrantzou has come under fire over allegations she copied an image by Korean photographer Lee Myoung-ho.
During a press conference on Monday in central Seoul, the photographer disclosed that he has taken legal action against the designer.
“Katrantzou plagiarised my photograph ‘Tree…#3,’” said Mr Myoung-ho.
“I learned about this from an acquaintance last April and filed a complaint with the California District Court last October.”
The photograph taken by the photographer at Sihwa Lake in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province in 2011, has allegedly been used as a print on both a t-shirt and tote bag in Katranzou’s Mary A to Z collection.
“I wasn’t able to see the t-shirt and the bag in person, but it appears the designer stretched the photo horizontally and deleted the tree’s branches to dodge copyright infringement allegations,” said Mr Myoung-ho.
The t-shirt was being sold for $520 and the bag for $1,070, though according to reports, the items have now been removed from the online product list.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Mr Myoung-ho said he decided to file the lawsuit in the United States, based on the premise that the products have mainly been sold there.
The photographer has put forward a request for $2 million in compensation.
