A judge ruled in favor of Rihanna in the pop sensation's lawsuit against British clothing company Topshop.
The songstress sued the popular retailer for selling shirts that featured her image without her permission, and legal officials agreed the sale of those shirts was misleading to customers who likely believed Rihanna had endorsed them.
"I am quite satisfied that many fans of Rihanna regard her endorsement as important," High Court Justice Colin Briss said in court July 31. "She is their style icon. Many will buy a product because they think she has approved of it. Others will wish to buy it because of the value of the perceived authorization itself. In both cases they will have been deceived."
Briss noted the Topshop tee could compromise Rihanna's own retail efforts. The singer recently revealed ambitions to be a designer and created her own clothing line for River Island.
The judge did not rule on how much Topshop will have to shell out, but initial reports speculated the singer asked for $5 million in damages.
The "Diamonds" singer first complained about the sale of the "Rihanna Tank" back in May and asked that the retailer stop selling it.
"They basically told her 'Go to hell. We don't care,'" Rihanna's management told The New York Post at the time.
Topshop reportedly refused to stop selling the tee, but did change its name first to "Headscarf Girl Tank" and then to "Icon tank," according to Entertainment Weekly. The brand claimed there "was no intention by Topshop to create the appearance of an endorsement or promotion" and that they do not believe they "conveyed any false message to our customers."
Topshop reps have said they're disappointed in the ruling and plan to possibly appeal.
