Abaya designer wins BD250 as compensation

TDT | Bahrain

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini court has awarded a 60-year-old abaya designer BD250 in compensation from a 20-year-old designer who copied and sold her designs. The court ruled in favour of the senior designer, citing moral damages inflicted by the younger designer’s actions.

According to lawyer Zahra Naama, the senior designer, who designs and sells abayas through social media, accused the younger designer of stealing her designs and selling them at lower prices. Naama stated that the younger designer had copied images of the abayas from the senior designer’s social media account and presented them as her own.

“My client suffered significant financial losses due to the theft of her designs, which constituted her sole source of income,” explained Naama. “She also endured emotional distress as a result of the infringement.” Following a criminal complaint, the public prosecution issued a fine of BD20 against the younger designer for misuse of communication devices.

Civil lawsuit

The senior designer then filed a civil lawsuit seeking further compensation for the moral damages she experienced. The Civil Court of First Instance ruled in favour of the senior designer, stating that the younger designer’s actions had caused her distress and sorrow, especially considering the theft of her intellectual property.

The court acknowledged the emotional impact of the infringement, emphasising the connection between the younger designer’s wrongdoing and the senior designer’s emotional harm.