Pop Mart, the makers of the hugely popular Labubu, are suing a sneaker and clothing company for making “LaBullBu” shoes that they say infringe on their intellectual property.
According to a complaint reviewed by Complex, Pop Mart filed suit against the Cortland, NY company Bull Airs in Manhattan federal court on Monday (June 15). The company’s issue is that Bull Airs, which makes pop culture-inspired footwear and apparel, created and sold a number of sneakers with allegedly Labubu-like figures on the tongues that they called “LaBullBu.” You can see an unboxing video —cited in Pop Mart’s complaint — below.
The shoes and their packaging, Pop Mart says, “are nearly indistinguishable from Plaintiffs’ LABUBU Products, only with minor variations that no ordinary consumer would recognize.”
The company is suing for trademark infringement, infringement of unregistered trade dress, false designation of origin, and copyright infringement. They are asking for damages, as well as an injunction preventing Bull Airs from “directly or indirectly” infringing on any of their trademarks.
Complex has reached out to one of Pop Mart’s attorneys for comment, but he did not immediately respond. No representation for Bull Airs was listed in court records as of this writing.
Labubus, which were created in 2015 by artist and toy designer Kasing Lung, saw a boom in success in the last year. Although celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Megan Thee Stallion have promoted the items, Pop Mart has in recent months lost about 30% of its value over worries the craze might be over.
