A woman has accused high street retailer H&M of stealing a design from her hometown and using it as a part of their home collection.

When Tori LaConsay took the time to paint a sweet message on a neighbourhood sign she had no idea a lookalike design would end up plastered over merchandise on the retailer’s website.

In December 2008 Tori, from The East Village neighbourhood in Atlanta, Georgia painted ‘You Look Nice Today’ with a love heart on one side of a road sign so people could see it as they travelled past.

Unexpectedly, Tori received messages from friends recently with links to the UK H&M website showing her design on doormats, pillowcases and towels with no accreditation.

H&M Home launched in Sweden, Germany, Finland, Austria and the Netherlands in 2009, it was introduced to the UK 2010.

Tori told regretsy.com that her painting was an act of appreciation for her town and the people that she lived in it with. She said: “It was a small gesture that I genuinely hoped would make my neighbours feel good.”

She emailed H&M with a complaint but they dismissed her claims with the following response:

“We employ an independent team of over 100 designers. We can assure you that this design has not been influenced by your work and that no copyright has been infringed.”

According to regretsy.com, H&M originally posted a message on their Facebook wall saying that copying the design was never their intention and not tolerated in their business. They claim they were inspired by a variety of text messages and created something from that in a similar font. Ending the message they apologised for the intention it may have created.

Random Posts:

• Remarkable ‘Dog-faced’ Lemurs Leap Through Jungle – Madagascar, Preview – BBC Two
• Elizabeth Taylor en La Nana
• Lorry Swallowed By Hole In Chinese Bridge
• arthur 2011 movie exclusive scenes and story
• Elizabeth Taylor Dead at 79 – Tribute to her (ABC News Special Report!)
• Body Language
• The Lion of Punjab – Official Theatrical Trailor – HD
• Newcastle Gateshead Bridges Festival
• Abandoned for 2 weeks, starving dogs in Indonesia eat owner
• Shock X Factor exit for Treyc