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Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump sued over shoe design

Kevin McCoy
USA TODAY

While GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump has been involved in at least 3,500 court actions, his daughter, Ivanka, is a legal target in a new lawsuit of her own.

File photo taken in 2016 shows Ivanka Trump attending Cirque Du Soleil's "Paramour" Broadway opening night at the Lyric Theatre in New York City.

Italian luxury footwear maker  Aquazzura is accusing her of copying the company's copyright design to a popular sandal, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.

Along with naming Trump, who has her own fashion collection, the lawsuit names three companies working with her, including manufacturer Marc Fisher.

The dispute focuses on Aquazzura's "Wild Thing," a sandal with fringe covering the toes and suede tassel fringe atop an oh-so-high heel. Celebrities ranging from socialite Olivia Palermo to singer Solange Knowles have been "parading the red carpet" in the footwear, according to a December posting in fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar cited by the court complaint.

"Seeking the same success Aquazzura experienced but without having to put in the hard creative work, defendants resorted to knocking off plaintiff's popular designs," the complaint charged.

Exclusive: Trump's 3,500 lawsuits unprecedented for a presidential nominee

The Wild Thing sandals are advertised for as much as $785 at Net-a-Porter and other fashion companies. Trump's footwear, a sandal dubbed the Hettie, under-sells the Aquazzura footwear with a listed sale price of $145 at Bloomingdale's department store.

The Italian company seeks a court injunction barring Trump from selling the purported knockoff. Aquazzura also seeks an accounting of Trump's profits from the shoe, plus damages and attorney fees.

Left: The Trump "Hettie" shoe. Right: Aquazzura "Wild Thing" shoe.

"This is a baseless lawsuit aimed at generating publicity," Matthew Burris, chief financial officer of Marc Fisher, said in a statement responding to the filing. "The shoe in question is representative of a trending fashion style, is not subject to intellectual property law protection and there are similar styles made by several major brands. The lawsuit is without merit and we will vigorously defend ourselves against the claim."

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest.

Trump has followed in Aquazzura's footsteps before, the lawsuit charges, escalating complaints about copycatting the company previously made on her Instagram account.

Ivanka Trump Accused of Copying Aquazzura's Fringed Sandal

The court filing featured side-by-side photos comparing not only the Wild Thing and the Hettie, but also Trump footwear that appeared similar to Aquazzura's Forever Marilyn and Belgravia shoe models.

Trump and the other defendants reportedly halted sales of one of those models, and filed a lawsuit for a declaration of non-infringement of copyright on the other, the lawsuit said.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Kevin McCoy on Twitter: @kmccoynyc

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