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NEW YORK — French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent drew a line Tuesday under its legal battle with Parisian footwear designer Christian Louboutin and his iconic red-soled shoes.
In a statement, it said it was "taking steps to close the book" on the trademark dispute by asking the US District Court in New York to dismiss its outstanding counterclaims against Louboutin.
"Yves Saint Laurent has decided to end what was left of the litigation and refocus its energies on its business and its creative designs," said the company, a unit of France's PPR luxury goods conglomerate.
Louboutin is famous in high-fashion circles not only for dizzying high-heel pumps, but also for their bright red lacquer soles that make them instantly recognizable.
When Yves Saint Laurent came out with a so-called "monochromatic shoe" that was entirely red from the leather uppers to the outer sole, Louboutin went to court, arguing that red soles were his trademark.
In a September 5 ruling, the US Court of Appeals agreed up to a point, saying red soles were "entitled to trademark protection" -- so long as the rest of the shoe was another color, such as black or beige.
Source: AFP