Judge Allows Copyright Suit Against Pandora to Move Forward

By JCK News Desk | September 15, 2026

A federal judge in New York denied Pandora’s motion to dismiss a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by FoundRae, allowing the dispute over two jewelry medallion designs to proceed.

Cemayla LLC, the company behind the FoundRae brand, alleges that Pandora copied protected elements of FoundRae’s Balance and Passion medallions in charms sold as part of its Talisman collection.

FoundRae further claims that Pandora replicated the selection, arrangement, and overall appearance of two copyrighted medallions, one featuring crossed arrows and the other incorporating sun-and-moon imagery. Pandora has denied infringement.

In the Sept. 10 ruling, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon concluded that the case could not be resolved at the pleading stage. She ruled a reasonable juror could find that Pandora misappropriated FoundRae’s original design, even if some of the individual symbols involved are common and not independently protectable.

The court emphasized that copyright cases involving jewelry designs often consider the works’ overall feel and concept rather than individual design elements viewed in isolation. According to the opinion, the question is whether the overall arrangement and appearance are substantially similar.

The ruling does not determine whether Pandora infringed FoundRae’s copyrights. McMahon noted that a fact-finder could ultimately conclude the designs are sufficiently different to avoid liability. At this stage, however, she held that FoundRae’s allegations are plausible and that the case should proceed.

The dispute involves Pandora’s Talisman collection, which launched in August 2025. FoundRae charges that several Talisman pieces use symbolic medallion concepts similar to those found in the New York brand’s signature designs and that Pandora engraved explanatory messages on the backs of the pieces in a manner similar to FoundRae’s products.

The Talisman line has been an important part of Pandora’s strategy to expand into jewelry centered on symbolism, personal meaning, and self-expression. In an August interview with WWD, Pandora executives said the collection emphasizes storytelling through medallions, zodiac imagery, engravable pieces, and personalized motifs. The company recently expanded the collection with additional zodiac-themed designs.

(Photo: JCK file photo)

The JCK News Desk uses AI to help research and produce the first draft of articles. This story was then reviewed by staff writer David Blomquist.