IPC Sues Restoration Hardware for Breach of Contract with Designer Tara Shaw

IPC has filed a lawsuit against upscale retail giant Restoration Hardware in Louisiana federal court on behalf of IPC client Tara Shaw, a New Orleans-based antique dealer and interior designer with her own line of antique reproduction and custom furniture and décor.  Ms. Shaw claims that Restoration Hardware has failed to compensate her as promised for using Ms. Shaw‘s manufacturers to produce home décor items that Restoration Hardware had not licensed from Ms. Shaw. 
 
Under a license agreement it entered into with Ms. Shaw in 2014, Restoration Hardware has been manufacturing and selling home décor designed by Ms. Shaw.  After entering into the licensing deal, Restoration Hardware requested to use Ms. Shaw’s manufacturers to produce the licensed home décor, instead of using Restoration Hardware’s established manufacturers.  The lawsuit alleges that because Ms. Shaw had invested time and finances training and setting up her manufacturers, Restoration Hardware verbally agreed to compensate Ms. Shaw if it ever used her manufactures to produce any products that were not licensed from Ms. Shaw.  Ms. Shaw claims that Restoration Hardware has breached that agreement.
 
If you have any questions about copyright licensing issues or protection of trade secrets, the professionals at IPC can help. Give us a call at (504) 322-7166.