Karen Adele Doble v Guess? Inc

In *Karen Adele Doble v Guess? Inc*, the applicant, Karen Adele Doble, brought proceedings against the respondent, Guess? Inc, alleging contraventions of the *Australian Consumer Law* (ACL) and the *Competition and Consumer Act 2010* (Cth). The dispute concerned representations made by Guess? Inc regarding the origin of its products. The matter was heard in the Federal Court of Australia.

The primary legal issue before the Court was whether Guess? Inc had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct, or conduct likely to mislead or deceive, in contravention of section 18 of the ACL. This involved determining whether the representations made about the "Made in China" labels on its garments were false or misleading, and whether these representations were material to consumers' purchasing decisions.

Justice Forno considered the evidence presented, including the specific labelling practices of Guess? Inc and the understanding of consumers. The Court applied the principles established in cases concerning misleading representations about product origin, focusing on whether the overall impression conveyed to the ordinary consumer was likely to deceive. The Court found that the "Made in China" labels, in the context of the marketing and sale of the garments, did not constitute misleading or deceptive conduct under the ACL.

The Court therefore dismissed the application.