Kate's dress a hit with copycats
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Chen, of course, is not the only one to get in on the act.
According to Chen, there are at least five stores going into overdrive to provide the dress in Suzhou, known in China as the Wedding Dress City, and home to more than 1,200 factories specializing in wedding gowns.
"Everyone is eying the latest trend to win a place in this competitive market," she said.
According to Sky News Asia, the Muyi Wedding Dress Company located in Suzhou is selling its take on the creation, which it copied within hours of the ceremony, for just US$333.
A picture accompanying the report even shows a Chinese bride wearing the look-alike dress one day after the royal wedding. Zhao Tingting was the first Chinese bride to wear the dress, just 36 hours after the royal nuptials. Her groom, Wang Jiawang, donned a rough approximation of the uniform worn by Prince William.
Chen, who has replicated around 800 items, including Chinese traditional costumes from popular TV series, wedding gowns worn by celebrities and works of famous fashion designers, admitted that she was ignorant of the copyright rules she might be breaking.
But Wang Qian, professor from Intellectual Property College of East China University of Political Science and Law, attested to the legitimacy of the dresses.
"Clothing design is not protected by the intellectual property rights rules in China," said Wang.
"As long as the replica is not sold to countries like France, where there are strict rules about it, the producers are safe," he added.
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