Fashion retailer Sportsgirl says it will remove its bag charms from sale, following allegations by Australian luxury brand Maison de Sabre that the charms were imitations of its Sabremoji range. 

“We have promptly taken proactive steps to remove the relevant products from sale to reinforce our commitment to maintaining excellent business practices in the Australian fashion industry,” said Sportsgirl in a statement sent to Inside Retail. 

“We will take this opportunity to refine our internal processes to further strengthen this commitment.

“Sportsgirl is a proud Australian company that supports and champions Australian fashion design,” the statement continued.

“We fully respect the intellectual property rights of others and recognise that part of our role as a leading national retailer is to demonstrate the highest standards for the Australian industry,” the company said.

The incident sparked a wider conversation in the industry regarding Australia’s weak copyright laws, with retailers and experts calling for higher standards around creativity and originality.