Copycat Corner: Claws Come Out

Marimekko and Dolce & Gabbana are fighting over a flower. A poppy, to be precise -- or the bright, bold representation of one that the Finnish textile design company claims it trademarked. When a red flower that looked suspiciously similar showed up on D&G dresses, Marimekko made a fuss. But the Italian fashion house has just thrown a sharp counter-punch by saying that the trademark Marimekko obtained for its Unikko flower pattern is invalid.

The Finnish company filed a lawsuit against D&G in Hamburg earlier this year to try to stop the label from using the design. Created by Maija Isola for Marimekko in 1964, the child-like poppy print has come back into fashion in recent years. But now D&G has appealed to the European Union to have Marimekko's trademark voided. Who's got the true flower power? Now it's up to the courts to decide.

Plus: More big fashion corporations duke it out for justice. Oscar de la Renta is suing Elizabeth Arden, saying that the brand's been using the Oscar de la Renta name on its new perfume bottle without permission. Meow! Watch the fashionable fur fly.

Have you ever copied someone's idea and pretended it was your own?