Stolen design of Stefano's pasta packaging found in Russia
In an unexpected turn of events, the Quebec-based pasta brand, Stefano, has accused a Russian company of blatant plagiarism. The allegations stem from the replication of Stefano's unique packaging design, which includes the brand's logo, under a local Russian brand.
The agency responsible for the plagiarized packaging is LG2, a design firm based in Montreal. However, neither Stefano himself nor his team has named the Russian company involved in their publications.
The replication was first noticed by a client in Toronto who spotted a Russian designer promoting the design on Behance, an online platform for creatives. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the packages have been removed from the Russian pasta manufacturer's website.
Isabelle Lemme, a member of the Stefano team, stated that the replication was done quickly and without effort compared to their original work. The Stefano product team believes that the idea of proposing packaging in a single, vivid colour required thought, effort, and discussion, eight years ago.
The client of the Russian designer is a pasta producer established in Russia, Avanti. However, the Stefano team believes that the packages may not be removed from the Russian market.
In response to the allegations, the Russian food manufacturer acknowledged the plagiarism in a message on Instagram. The Stefano team opted for a denunciation on their networks, with the goal of raising awareness about plagiarism.
Caroline Vincent, the director of marketing and communications for the group that creates Stefano products, Aliments Forgione Faita, confirmed the incident. The words on the Russian packaging have also been translated and adapted, further highlighting the extent of the plagiarism.
Despite the plagiarism, the Stefano team has consulted with their lawyer and decided that there was no viable recourse to obtain redress. La Presse reached out to the man who signed the Instagram message, but he has yet to respond to their request for an interview.
This is the first time the Stefano product team has faced such blatant plagiarism in their history. While there is no specific information about a similar incident involving Stefano products and a Russian pasta manufacturer in the current search results, it is a reminder of the importance of originality and intellectual property rights in the industry.
The design firm LG2, based in Montreal, was responsible for the plagiarized packaging, but the Russian company involved remains unnamed. The Stefano team believes that the food-and-drink business industry should uphold the importance of originality and intellectual property rights. Furthermore, they expressed concerns about the impact of plagiarism on their lifestyle and finance, given the irony of their meticulous eight-year effort in creating the distinctive packaging being copied without due recognition.
