Connie Ferguson vs Nivea: 3 other celebs accused of 'copying' well-known brands

Actress and businesswoman Connie Ferguson has lost her legal battle with healthcare giant Nivea after a judge ruled that her beauty products company set out to deceive customers by making a product that resembled those from Nivea.

As TimesLIVE reported this week, Johannesburg High Court Judge Denise Fisher ordered that Connie's company Koni International Brands change the packaging of its Connie Bodycare Men Shower Gel and delete images of the offending products from signage, websites and social media platforms. Fisher also awarded costs against Connie's company.

It brought to an end a year long battle between the two companies.

At the centre of the fight was the use of navy blue containers and silver and yellow fonts, which the court found were too similar to those by Nivea.

Of course, is not the first time that a famous face has been accused of copying the design of a well-known brand.

Even though some have never been challenged in a court of law, here are some that have been tried in the courts of public opinion.

Cassper vs Cartoon Network

When Cassper exploded into the mainstream music industry several years ago, he flooded the market with branded merchandise which looked similar to the black-and-white checkerboard of Cartoon Network.

Nhlanhla Nciza vs Armani

The Mafikizolo star has been making waves in the fashion world with her range NN Vintage but raised eyebrows when she hit the Metro FM Music Award red carpet in 2017 in a design that looked just like an Armani piece worn by Janelle Monáe.

Gavin Rajah vs Self-Portrait

Local fashion designer Gavin Rajah made headlines in 2015 when he modeled a design at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Joburg that bore a strikingly similar to a dress designed by Han Chong  for US brand Self Portrait.

The blue and grey collared dress, was worn by US star Reese Witherspoon a few months earlier.

When approached for comment, Gavin told City Press that claims he is a copycat designer were “old news. Have a party with it.”