Italy's fashion chamber appeals to China in copyright row

Rome - Italy's fashion chamber of commerce on Thursday called on Chinese authorities to clamp down on copyright infringement against three of its members: DSquared2, C'N'C Costume National and ICE ICEBERG.

"We are confident that they will offer maximum support in resolving this unfortunate situation," the chamber of commerce in Milan said in a statement, adding that legal action in China against the alleged infringer had failed.

"We are certain that Chinese institutions will easily recognise the inherent anomaly in the fact that a single company has registered three brands belonging to three members of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion," it said.

The fashion houses have been "victims for some time of an attempt to encroach on their brands" by a Chinese company, the statement added.

It said the companies had suffered "significant costs" as a result.

DSquared2 was launched in Milan in 1995 by twins Dean and Dan Caten from Canada, C'N'C Costume National was founded by brothers Ennio and Carlo Capasa in 1986 and ICE ICEBERG started out in 1974 as a sportswear line.

The three fashion houses all show their collections at Milan Fashion Weeks.