CLO announces legal win in copyright infringement lawsuit against Style3D

CLO Virtual Fashion, the parent company of 3D fashion design software CLO, recently announced a legal victory in its copyright infringement lawsuit against the parent company of Style3D.

In a statement released late on January 14, CLO shared that it had obtained “a final and binding judgment” from the Zhejiang Provincial High People’s Court against Zhejiang Lingdi Digital Technology Co. Ltd., known as Linctex. The ruling found that Linctex had knowingly committed copyright infringement by repeatedly and extensively using unauthorized versions of CLO software in its commercial activities.

The ruling concludes a multi-year dispute dating back to the summer of 2023, between CLO and Linctex, during which the former accused the latter of directly infringing on its legally protected computer software copyrights. The Zhejiang Provincial High People’s Court dismissed Linctex’s “fair use” defense, finding that their use of the software was directly tied to commercial operations. The court’s final judgment is legally binding, giving full and conclusive judicial protection to CLO’s lawful rights and interests.

“We sincerely respect and thank the Chinese judicial authorities, affirming the severity of the violations,” said Simon Kim, CEO of CLO Virtual Fashion, in a statement. “This outcome fully reflects the importance China places on intellectual property protection. It sends a crucial signal to the entire industry about respecting and adhering to the rules, and it strengthens our convictions about deepening our commitment to the Chinese market.”

Kim further added that CLO sought legal action not just to protect its own copyright and innovations, but also in the wider interests and long-term stability of the digital fashion ecosystem. “Brands and companies need to know that the tools they rely on are stable, secure, and built on sound foundations.”

Following the ruling, Linctex was ordered to immediately cease all infringing activities and to pay compensation to CLO. Details regarding the compensation were not shared. The final ruling is said to reinforce the judicial protection of CLO’s core intellectual property while highlighting China’s commitment to improving intellectual property enforcement, setting a new precedent for fair competition in the industry.