The shoe manufacturer claimed its sandals “are copyright-protected works of applied art" that may not be imitated, but a court ruled they're just comfy footwear.

An undermining of EU harmonisation or an obvious interpretation of the law? In this week's opinion, practitioners debate ...

When it comes to their legal status, the answer is no: Last week, a German federal court ruled that Birkenstocks aren’t art and therefore can’t enjoy stronger copyright protections against ...

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice ruled Thursday that German shoe maker Birkenstock’s world-famous sandals can’t be considered “works of art” that enjoy copyright protection. By claiming copyright, ...

Birkenstock was fighting to have rival sandals ... at the European level,” the company said in a statement. Other EU countries handle copyright protection of everyday objects differently from ...

This week, the court ruled that Birkenstocks fail to meet the legal definition of art. Birkenstocks are sandals with cork soles that conform to the wearer’s footprint. Hugely popular ...

By Jacob Gallagher Depending on whom you ask, Birkenstock’s wide-set, corky sandals might be frumpy, or chic, or gauche or the ultimate comfort shoe. What they cannot be called though ...

The Birkenstock. Comfortable, durable, practical, and beloved by hippies and Barbie alike. There are many things you can say about the popular cork-soled shoes and sandals—but you can’t call ...