Overview

• Oaxaca’s government will file an infringement complaint with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property demanding suspension of sales, public recognition of the Villa Hidalgo Yalalag community and reparations for unauthorized use of their huarache designs.
• The National Institute of Indigenous Peoples has enacted safeguarding measures under federal law to protect the collective heritage of Yalalag artisans.
• The federal Secretariat of Culture has endorsed Oaxaca’s demands and pledged support for legal action to uphold indigenous cultural rights.
• Governor Salomón Jara Cruz and Deputy Isaías Carranza accused Adidas and designer Willy Chavarría of plagiarism, noting that the Yalalag community was neither consulted nor compensated.
• Adidas has not issued an official response to the allegations, leaving its stance on the dispute unconfirmed.