Egyptian clothing brand takes legal action against Arabic 'Suits' remake

Orange Square claims it supplied 2.7 million Egyptian pounds worth of suits to the series and is yet to receive payment

The Arabic version of hit US show 'Suits' hit screens on April 2, the first day of Ramadan. Photo: OSN

A popular Egyptian men's formalwear fashion brand announced through its lawyers that it is taking legal action against the producers of an Arabic-language remake of the popular US television show Suits.

Orange Square, the brand in question, allegedly provided 2.7 million Egyptian pounds ($146,400) worth of wardrobe items to the television show and has not received any payment, according to legal documents posted to the company's Facebook page.

Through its lawyer, Kamal Shoaib, the label is requesting that the show be taken off air until the wardrobe bill is settled, the court document states.

However, the production company behind the show said it was "shocked" by the lawsuit.

“Our company was shocked to find out through social media that legal actions were being taken against us by a formalwear brand claiming that it is owed money for supplying suits to a popular television show which has garnered high viewership numbers. The brand intentionally misrepresented facts and deceived the audience,” a press statement issued on Monday by the production company, TVision, said.

“The company [TVision] insists that it owes nobody any outstanding fees and that its reputation, which it garnered after almost 20 years, is the biggest attest to that,” the statement said.

“The company has assigned the office of Dr Hossam Lotfy to firmly address these claimants of fame and to hold them accountable for their deliberate defamation, slander, and threats, which are punishable by law,” TVision said in its statement.

A remake of the massively popular American television series of the same name, the Arabic version of Suits implements the same courtroom thrills that made its US-counterpart so popular with audiences, while changing the crimes portrayed to resemble scenarios an Arab audience would be more familiar with.

The remake was one of the most anticipated series of the Ramadan 2022 season, a peak time for television productions in Egypt.

Since its release on the first day of the holy month on April 2, the show has proven divisive among its audience, with some praising the production of the show and others saying that it falls short of the American version.

The National contacted Orange Square regarding TVision's counter legal action. Orange Square declined to comment.