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Intellectual Property Law
Kim Kardashian sued for claiming ‘low-grade’ knockoff furniture was made by artist Donald Judd
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian speaks onstage during the 2020 Winter TCA Tour on Jan. 18, 2020, in Pasadena, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian claimed on video that she had purchased “Donald Judd tables” that were in fact “cheap knockoffs,” leading consumers to think that the source of the furniture was the nonprofit foundation dedicated to the artist’s legacy, according to a lawsuit filed this week.
The Judd Foundation sued Kardashian and Clements Design, which allegedly made the knockoff furniture that appeared in a 2022 Kardashian video made at the offices of Kardashian’s skin care company.
“If you guys are furniture people—because I’ve really gotten into furniture lately—these Donald Judd tables are really amazing and totally blend in with the seats,” Kardashian said in the video posted to YouTube.
Reuters, the New York Times, TMZ and USA Today have coverage of the March 27 lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The suit accuses Kardashian of false endorsement and Clements Design of trademark and copyright infringement, false advertising and unfair competition.
“These poor-quality imitations masquerading as authentic Donald Judd tables and chairs harm the Donald Judd brand, as consumers will see the cheap knockoffs, be told they are authentic Donald Judd furniture, and erroneously associate those low-grade pieces with the Donald Judd brand,” the suit says.
Judd died in 1994.
Clements Design said in a statement published by the New York Times and TMZ its furniture had “obvious key differences” from Donald Judd designs, and the Judd Foundation had been unwilling to settle on reasonable terms.
A lawyer for Clements Design, John Ulin, told the foundation that the wood type and proportions of its table were different than the Donald Judd tables, according to the New York Times.
“They are different tables with different designs,” Ulin said.
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