# Coupang Case: Resolving a Shoe-Design Sales Suspension Online sellers face IP complaints that can interrupt sales and create inventory and customer-service problems. Careful legal review can identify whether the asserted right supports the complaint. Source: https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/1324447 HOME / NEWS & INSIGHTS NEWS & INSIGHTS Coupang Case: Resolving a Shoe-Design Sales Suspension Online sellers face IP complaints that can interrupt sales and create inventory and customer-service problems. Careful legal review can identify whether the asserted right supports the complaint. Designs 2025.10.02 published IPLEX 3 min read An IP complaint on an online marketplace can quickly interrupt sales. Some complaints rely on registrations that are vulnerable to invalidation, making it important to review the right and the supporting evidence. IPLEX IP Law Firm has successfully led the resumption of the sale of goods through patent attorneys’ opinions and declarations. In this article, we’ll show you how to reverse the claims of the rightholder and normalize sales. Case Summary: Sudden Sales Interruption The client was selling women's shoes in Coupang, and immediately the sale was suspended after the rights holder reported that he had "infringed his registered design". The product had long been supplied by Chinese OEM factories, providing evidence that the cited design lacked novelty. In other words, the registered design of the rightholder was clearly invalid. Key Legal Issues 1. Novelty: the shoes had been sold on overseas platforms before the design's filing date, supporting an invalidity challenge. 2. Abuse of rights: enforcing a design right with clear invalidity grounds may constitute an abuse of rights. 3. Freely usable prior-art design: the product followed a design already available before filing. 4. Prior-user rights: the client's imports and sales before the filing date supported a statutory non-exclusive license, subject to the legal requirements. IPLEX’s response strategy 1. A reasoned patent attorney's opinion In addition to simple arguments, we have written a patent attorney opinion that combines the law and the case so that the Coupang team and the rightholder can be convinced. 2. A persuasive explanatory statement A statement was submitted that the date of entry of the product was ahead of the date of application, objective evidence that the same product has already been sold abroad, and the concept of freely usable prior-art design. It also included a phrase to remind the rightholder of the disadvantage of legal disputes. 3. Encouraging withdrawal of the complaint The response explained the complainant's potential legal risks, encouraging withdrawal of the allegation. As a result, the client’s goods were returned to normal. Lessons from the case and the role of IPLEX An important lesson I learned from this case is as follows. Prompt response: prepare the legal opinion, explanatory statement and evidence as soon as sales are suspended. Expert intervention: We need a response based on legal grounds and cases, not just protests. Strategic approach: It is most effective to get the rightholder to withdraw on their own. The IPLEX IP Law Firm is not only a document maker, but also a practical supporter of the rights of sellers based on legal analysis and hands-on experience. Do not give up even if you are facing unfair claims of infringement in the online sales process. We will continue to be a strong shield for sellers on various platforms such as Coupang and Naver. Read the Korean source This article reflects the information available when it was published. Contact us to discuss your circumstances. Discuss this topic ↗ All articles TALK TO IPLEX Discuss your IP questions We consider your technology and business needs together. ↗ Contact us Newer Coupang Case: Sales Resumed within One Day after a Design Complaint ↗ Older Coupang Case: Addressing a Sales Suspension Based on a Design Complaint ↗ Related insights Designs 2026.08.31 Coupang Case: Resuming Clothing Sales Following a Design Infringement Complaint Sales of a women’s UV-protection cardigan on Coupang were suspended following a design infringement complaint. IPLEX reviewed the evidence and submitted a patent attorney’s opinion and a response to the complaint. The suspension was lifted. ↗ Read article Designs 2026.08.28 Coupang Jewelry Case: Responding to Counterfeit and Design Infringement Allegations This case required separate analysis of alleged counterfeiting and design infringement. The counterfeiting issue concerned use of the rights holder’s mark, claims of authenticity and the overall indication of commercial source on the sales page. ↗ Read article Designs 2026.08.27 Revisiting the Design After a Sales Suspension: A Coupang Jewelry Case For online sellers, a sales suspension email is not just a notice. The product still exists, it's still in stock, and there's customer demand, but the sell button just stops. A single sentence stating that an intellectual property infringement report has been filed can result in sales disruption, advertising loss, inventory burden, and account risk for the seller. ↗ Read article - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/category/design - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/forum/view/1324447 - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/contact - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/contact - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/1339834 - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/1323897 - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/1529903 - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/1529903 - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/1529001 - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/1529001 - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/1528238 - https://www.iplexlaw.co.kr/en/blog/1528238