Take no photos, even of your own cars, says Ferrari: Philipp Plein loses court battle against the Italian carmaker with nearly $356,000 paid in damages


The Philipp Plein and Ferrari story teaches us a lot. One, that as much as you take pride in owning a supercar, you may land in trouble for using it as a backdrop, in this case, a Ferrari. Secondly, this rule applies only if you use Ferrari as a backdrop to promote your own brand or business and even more so when the brand ideologies differ. Ferrari has clearly exhibited nobody messes with them or the brand image they create- not even a 10-year old, loyal customer Philipp Plein. The tussle started in 2017 when Plein’s Spring/Summer 2018 runway show used a plethora of supercars to create a borderline tacky, modern interpretation of the iconic ‘Grease.’ Among the lineup of Mercedes, Lamborghini, and McLaren cars were featured some Ferrari cars too. This display didn’t go down well with the Italian car manufacturer, and a three-judge court panel ruled that Plein’s use of Ferrari in the show equaled to “illegitimate use of Ferrari trademarks.” This wasn’t the end of it all; a separate trademark-centric suit also took place as Ferrari issued a cease-and-desist letter to Plein after he uploaded a post featuring a pair of his $800 Phantom Kick$ perched atop the roof of a green Ferrari 812 Superfast. Ferrari seems to be keeping a close eye on everything Philipp Plein does and Plein, in turn, never learns to keep his merchandise away from his car.


The luxury carmaker finally won the lawsuit filed against Philipp Plein. The ruling obliges Plein to remove from his social media and website any image and reference to Ferrari as well as to pay $356,000 in damages and $30,000 in legal fees – plus $12,000 to be paid for ‘each time’ the designer decides to ‘improperly’ use Ferrari’s image again.

Also read -  How this 24-year-old Youtuber claimed to be a Russian billionaire and scammed wealthy car enthusiasts for millions of dollars by selling them limited-edition Ferrari supercars he never owned. He now faces 20 years in Federal prison.

Via Instagram / @  philippplein

[Via: nss Magazine]

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With over 15 years of experience in luxury journalism, Neha Tandon Sharma is a notable senior writer at Luxurylaunches. Her expertise spans luxury yachts, high-end fashion, and celebrity culture. Beyond writing, her passion for fantasy series is evident. Beginning with articles on women-centric gadgets, she's now a leading voice in luxury, with a fondness for opulent superyachts. To date, her portfolio boasts more than 2 million words, often penned alongside a cappuccino.