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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Kirsten Grieshaber

Can Birkenstock sandals be ‘work of art’? German court says no

Birkenstocks may be ubiquitous on the streets of Europe but they cannot be considered art, Germany’s Federal Court of Justice has ruled.

Birkenstock, which is headquartered in Linz am Rhein in western Germany and says its tradition of shoemaking goes back to 1774, had filed a lawsuit against three competitors who sold sandals that were very similar to its own.

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