#dupe-culture

#dupe-culture

"Recent lawsuits involving Lululemon, Sol de Janeiro, and Smucker's show that courts are now being asked to define the limits of trade dress protection in industries where imitation is common and trend cycles are short." "Run, don't walk!" has become a familiar call across TikTok and Instagram, signaling that a new budget-friendly "dupe" has landed on store shelves. What was once quiet bargain-hunting has turned into a celebrated online trend, where creators openly compare low-cost look-alikes to premium products.

Most notably, the president has transformed the look of the Oval Office into a barrage of gold, from gilded statues and vases to accent pieces that Internet sleuths said were actually just painted decor from Home Depot. ( Trump denied this.) While mocked as tacky by many observers, the look is of a piece with a continuing embrace of brazen material opulence, from a $1 million " gold card" visa and a massive new ballroom where the East Wing used to be, to accepting a $400 jet from the Qatari government.