The shoe manufacturer claimed its sandals “are copyright-protected works of applied art" that may not simply be imitated. Under German law, works of art enjoy stronger and longer-last intellectual property protections than ordinary consumer products.

On Thursday, the federal court of justice in Karlsruhe, Germany, ruled that Birkenstocks were not “copyrighted works of applied art,” making it harder for the 251-year-old German shoemaker to combat the widespread sale of duplicates of its sandals across the internet.

(CNN)– Birkenstocks are not art, they are just shoes. A German court rejected the sandal company’s effort to copyright four slip-on styles. Birkenstock officials say copyrighting the styles would thwart cheaper imitations by other brands. The federal court ruled Birkenstocks do not have enough individuality to qualify as applied art.