In a major design rights case, the EU General Court ruled that Rihanna’s 2014 Instagram post counted as prior art—leading to the cancellation of Puma’s registered shoe design. Here’s what creators and brands need to know.

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Can a Single Instagram Post Kill Your Design Rights?

That’s exactly what happened in the Puma vs. EUIPO case, where a 2014 post by Rihanna showcasing a sneaker prototype became prior art—rendering Puma’s later design registration invalid.

In this blog, we unpack how the court reached that decision, what it means for creators, and why the rule is simple: file first, post later.

At Exy IP, we help brands and designers secure their intellectual property before their ideas go public—because in the digital age, even one post can cost everything.