Did Victoria’s Secret Rip Off Lady’s Bra?

When news broke recently that a 38-year-old single mother of four from New York was taking Victoria’s Secret to court, I immediately began to think of possible reasons why anyone would take the retailer, famous for its scantily-clad, lingerie-wearing models, to court.

Perhaps the plaintiff’s cup was half-empty? Maybe she was strapped for cash? Or, better yet, she might just be a boob out to cause trouble?

As it turns out, Katerina Plew is none of the above; instead, she’s suing Victoria’s Secret based on her claim that the company ripped her bra off — in a legal sense, not a literal one — when it violated her patent for a new type of bra she designed eight years ago.

According to a Times-Online article today, Pew filed suit in New York and is seeking triple damages after discovering a display for the company’s “Very Sexy 100-Way Strapless Convertible Bra” in a shopping mall near her home in Selden, Long Island. At right is an example of a Victoria Secret product incorporating the disputed design.

“It’s my bra,” she told The Times yesterday. “It’s my patent. I am the one who invented it and I had an appointment to meet with them about it.”

I suspect Victoria’s Secret will wage an aggressive defense against the Pew lawsuit. After all, a loss might result in sagging sales.

-- Bob McCarty Writes