London - Global fashion chain H&M faces a multi-million pound payout to a British firm after copying its invention for making underwired bras safe.
The High Court ruling is the second time the Swedish giant has been caught selling underwear using the Fortitube system without a licence.
It was invented by Robert Glenn, of Stretchline Holdings, based in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, and is a feature of 300 million bras a year sold globally.
Fortitube works by fusing yarns in the fabric so the underwire cannot puncture the bra and hurt the wearer.
The case began when Mr Glenn found out in 2012 that H&M had copied his patent, just a year after reaching a settlement for a similar breach.
He said: ‘” am sad it had to go to court. We have taken this technology all over the world and have no idea the exact figure of the damages but H&M are a big company with a lot of branches. I suspect it was wrongly used in thousands of bras.”
In January, the High Court will begin assessing the damages H&M has to pay, which could run to seven figures.
Daily Mail