COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT — Disney’s Unauthorized Use of the RUNWAY MAGAZINE® Logo in Licensed Eudora Product Line.
Disney has built its global reputation on strict, aggressive, and uncompromising copyright enforcement. The company routinely issues takedowns, DMCA notices, and cease‑and‑desist letters against individuals, small creators, and independent artists for unauthorized use of its intellectual property. Disney’s external law firms actively pursue infringement claims, and the company is widely recognized for its zero‑tolerance approach to copyright violations.
Yet, Disney has faced longstanding public criticism regarding plagiarism allegations.
Against this backdrop, the unauthorized use of the copyrighted RUNWAY MAGAZINE® logo on a Disney‑licensed commercial product represents a serious and contradictory breach of the very standards Disney imposes on others.
The Global “Trade Name” Shield
1. The International Foundation (The Paris Convention) Under Article 8 of the Paris Convention (valid throughout Europe, UK, and the USA), a trade name is protected based on its existence and reputation in trade, regardless of the celebrity status of a fictional counterpart.
2. The United States Protection (The Lanham Act) Under 15 U.S. Code § 1126 (Section 44 of the Lanham Act), the US explicitly codified Article 8 of the Paris Convention. The law states:
“Trade names or commercial names… shall be protected without the obligation of filing or registration whether or not they form parts of marks.”
3. The United Kingdom Protection (Trade Marks Act 1994) In the UK, the “Section 44” equivalent is found in Section 2(2) of the Trade Marks Act 1994. It explicitly protects you even if you haven’t finished your registration:
“No proceedings lie to prevent or recover damages for the infringement of an unregistered trade mark as such; but nothing in this Act affects the law relating to passing off.”
The Product and the Licensing Context
Eudora, a cosmetics brand under Grupo Boticário, publicly announced its first licensing agreement with Disney for a limited‑edition makeup collection inspired by The Devil Wears Prada. The collection includes the Runway Magazine Palette, a 35‑shade eyeshadow palette priced at $234.99, promoted as an official Disney collaboration.
Promotional materials state:
“Eudora announces its first Disney licensing agreement with one of the biggest icons of fashion culture: The Devil Wears Prada.”
The palette is marketed as a Disney‑licensed item, distributed through official sales channels, and positioned as part of Disney’s IP‑based product line.
The Copyright Violation
The palette packaging does not use the fictional cinematic prop logo created for The Devil Wears Prada (cropped “A”, no descriptor, no trademark symbol, different typographic structure).
Instead, it reproduces the real, copyrighted RUNWAY MAGAZINE® logo, specifically:
- the distinctive rising “A” unique to the RUNWAY MAGAZINE® typographic signature
- the exact proportional layout of the registered mark
- the “MAGAZINE” descriptor
- a composition identical to the copyrighted logo published on Wikidata and runwaymagazines.com
This constitutes copyright infringement and Disney’s Unauthorized Use of the RUNWAY MAGAZINE® Logo on a commercial product.
Used here for reporting and documentation purposes.
Unauthorized Licensing and False Attribution
By licensing a product bearing the copyrighted RUNWAY MAGAZINE® logo, Disney has:
- authorized commercial distribution of RUNWAY MAGAZINE®’s copyrighted identity it does not own
- attributed authorship and ownership to Disney/20th Century Studios
- presented RUNWAY MAGAZINE®’s copyrighted identity as part of Disney’s IP portfolio
This is unauthorized licensing, false copyright attribution, and commercial exploitation of RUNWAY MAGAZINE®’s copyrighted identity.
Contradiction With Disney’s Enforcement Practices
Disney’s own enforcement history includes:
- aggressive pursuit of copyright violators
- takedowns against small creators and independent artists
- strict protection of its visual identities
- public criticism regarding alleged plagiarism in past productions
The unauthorized use of the RUNWAY MAGAZINE® logo stands in direct contradiction to the standards Disney demands from others.
The unauthorized use of the copyrighted RUNWAY MAGAZINE® logo on a Disney‑licensed commercial product is a documented act of copyright infringement, unauthorized licensing, and false attribution.
Disney’s COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT and Unauthorized commercial use of RUNWAY MAGAZINE® Logo is now formally recorded.
RUNWAY MAGAZINE® Issues Cease and Desist to Disney Over Unauthorized Commercial Use in The Devil Wears Prada 2
Message from Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE:
To the “legal talents” at Disney / 20th Century Studios: any further legal threats, or social media stalking by studio directed at me or our media will be immediately published on RUNWAY MAGAZINE digital platform, and reported to the International Associations of Journalists. My credentials: International Association of Journalists ID W73133, and the American Association of Journalists ID C553-3.
Furthermore, let’s clarify a point of professional etiquette: while our staff at our offices may not feel the need to flaunt a Bar Number, they — and our entire operation — are protected under the umbrella of these international journalistic associations and the legal safeguards of a registered media organization.
Disclaimer: Disney DOES NOT OWN trademarks for RUNWAY / RUNWAY MAGAZINE, DOES NOT HAVE COMMERCIAL USE until 2026, and CANNOT APPROPRIATE OUR IDENTITY. RUNWAY MAGAZINE® printed editions exist since 1995, operates under the internationally recognized protections for Freedom of Expression, Media Freedom, and the Safety of Journalists as affirmed in Article 11 of the Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen (1789), Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (1950), the Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse, U.S. constitutional protections for editorial commentary and satire, UNESCO’s standards for the independence of the press, and the protections against abusive litigation (SLAPP) afforded by the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive (2024/1069). Any effort to restrict, suppress, or unduly pressure a media outlet in the exercise of its journalistic functions stands in tension with these binding standards and the public‑interest role of the press.
