The EU Intellectual Property Office rejected a patent application for the plastic clog brand in 2016. EU rules state that a patent cannot be provided if the design has been made public for more than a year before the application has been submitted.

Crocs first made its public appearance in 2002 at a Florida boat show; it then applied for legal protection in 2004. A French retailer argued against the global brand from obtaining a patent as anyone “could have accessed the design”.

A spokesperson from the law firm Gowling WLG, says the case should be a reminder to designers to apply for legal protection early in terms of their products. The brand has both its critics and advocates. It was named in 2010 as one the world’s worst inventions, yet is sported by the likes of Michelle Obama and Prince George.

Current legal issues are discussed in the Thailand Family Law Center by Thailand family lawyers.   

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Image: Colorful Crocs