For Rwandan fashion designer Matthew Rugamba, seeing copies of his work on the market was almost inevitable.

The House of Tayo founder knew that his ‘Ijezi’ apparel, which combines football culture with a distinctly Rwandan visual identity, would attract imitators if it became successful.

The design has since been worn by several global celebrities and become one of the most recognizable pieces associated with contemporary Rwandan fashion.

"I knew that if it is successful, for it to be a successful product, it will be copied,” Rugamba told The New Times in an interview. "I had to have that in the back of my mind. And I’m a realist.”

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That expectation has not made the experience painless. Rugamba said he is disappointed when he sees others making money from work that took him time and resources to develop.

At the same time, his experience as a football fan has made him familiar with the counterfeit jersey market.

"I’ve seen fake jerseys my whole life. I understand the reality of the situation,” he said.

His response was to focus first on building a strong product and recovering the investment as quickly as possible. The longer-term challenge, he said, is enforcement of intellectual property rights.

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"You will see less innovation if intellectual property is not protected,” Rugamba claimed. "Our industry only grows and only develops when new designs, new concepts, and intellectual property is being protected.”

Rwanda has updated its intellectual property framework through Law No. 055/2024, which provides protection for trademarks and other forms of intellectual property. A trademark is a distinctive sign that identifies the goods or services of one person or business from those of others.

That distinction creates a complicated space for designs that draw from cultural symbols.

The Ijezi carries the House of Tayo identity, but some of its visual elements draw from imigongo, a traditional Rwandan art form whose geometric patterns have long existed outside contemporary fashion.

That issue has surfaced elsewhere in Rwanda’s fashion industry.

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The patterns are widely recognized as part of Rwanda’s cultural heritage, making questions of ownership and exclusivity more difficult when traditional motifs are adapted into modern products.

For Rugamba, the practical question is what happens when a design is copied commercially.

"Are the products being seized? Who gives that authority to seize the products?” he asked, arguing that stronger enforcement would give designers greater confidence to invest in new ideas.

The price gap illustrates the commercial pressure. The original 'Ijezi' retailed for $53, equivalent to about Rwf78,100 at today’s exchange rate, but Rugamba said sales of the original design were discontinued in early 2025.

Counterfeit versions have been offered by some clothing vendors for about Rwf 25,000, with some TikTok sellers advertising them for around 20,000 francs.

Rugamba said the challenge becomes greater when demand grows beyond what a small creative business can immediately supply.

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"Many creatives build for now, for those they can see, but what happens if demand multiplies tomorrow?” he said. He argued that the cost of producing original designs can appear high to consumers when compared with cheaper products made outside legitimate production channels.

Rwanda’s intellectual property law also provides penalties for certain forms of infringement.

Using another person’s protected mark without authorization can carry a prison sentence of three to five years and a fine ranging from Rwf 3 million to Rwf 5 million, according to the law.

Knowingly selling counterfeit products can carry a fine of between 300,000 and 500,000 francs.

For designers such as Rugamba, the stakes extend beyond one jersey. If designers expect successful work to be reproduced with little consequence, he believes fewer will take the risk of developing the next distinctive Rwandan product.