The TTAB has affirmed a refusal to register the trade dress configuration mark (see below) of the popular Timberland boot, a wardrobe staple in hip-hop culture (see The World is Yours by Nas), stating the configuration failed...more
International sportswear company Nike filed a lawsuit against a Los Angeles-based manufacturer alleged to have produced thousands of inauthentic Nike® Dunk®-inspired sneakers.
Interestingly, the lawsuit was filed shortly...more
On October 27, 2020, the District Court in the Western District of Texas issued its Final Judgment in L’Oreal USA Creative, Inc. v. Drunk Elephant, LLC, 1:18-cv-00982 (W.D.Tex.), which approved the Joint Stipulation of...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals in the Second Circuit found in favor of Costco in the latest chapter of an over seven-year legal battle between Tiffany and Co. (“Tiffany’s”) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco”). A three...more
10/22/2020
/ Costco ,
Counterclaims ,
Counterfeiting ,
Fair Use ,
Fashion Industry ,
Generic Marks ,
Remand ,
Summary Judgment ,
Tiffany and Company ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademarks
About 40 years ago, marketing strategists Al Ries and Jack Trout offered the world a way to think about making a brand memorable. The best way to be remembered is to be first into your prospect’s mind representing a clear...more
In April 2019, outdoor apparel company Patagonia, Inc. sued Anheuser-Busch, LLC in the District Court for the Central District of California. Patagonia brought eight claims against the Anheuser-Busch brand “Patagonia Brewing...more
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) allows for a trademark application to be filed on an “Intent to Use” basis to establish a priority date before the mark is actually “used in commerce.” However, such use in...more
On January 30, 2019, the luxury jewelry suppliers Van Cleef & Arpels filed suit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Nice Ice Fine Jewelers, LLC (“Defendant”). Van Cleef & Arpels’...more
3/27/2019
/ Attorney's Fees ,
Common Law Claims ,
Damages ,
Dilution ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Design ,
Federal Trademark Register ,
Lanham Act ,
Likelihood of Confusion ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Trade Dress ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
Unfair Competition
On December 28, 2018, Nirvana LLC filed a lawsuit against designer Marc Jacobs in the Central District of California, alleging copyright and trademark infringement. Nirvana LLC is the legal entity which controls the band...more
3/2/2019
/ Continuous Use Requirement ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Design ,
IP License ,
Merchandising Rights ,
Music Industry ,
Nirvana ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks
Under the first sale doctrine, once a trademark owner first authorizes its branded product to be sold to a consumer, the trademark owner’s right to control the further re-sale of that product is generally said to be...more
3/1/2019
/ Attorney's Fees ,
Consumer Confusion ,
Corporate Branding ,
Cosmetics ,
Damages ,
False Advertising ,
False Designation of Origin ,
Fashion Industry ,
FDA Approval ,
First Sale Doctrine ,
Gray Market Goods ,
Imports ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Lanham Act ,
Materiality ,
Product Packaging ,
Quality Control Plan ,
Tariff Act of 1930 ,
Tortious Interference ,
Trademark Exhaustion ,
Trademarks ,
U.S. Customs ,
Unfair Competition
On November 7, 2018 Louis Vuitton Malletier, S.A. filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York against i-Fe Apparel, Inc., Yongun Jung, and a number of presently unknown entities and individuals (“Defendants”)....more
1/22/2019
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Counterfeiting ,
Dilution ,
False Designation of Origin ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Louis Vuitton ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
Willful Infringement
Knock-offs and ‘copycat’ designs are nothing new to the fashion world. The rising demand for “fast fashion” and bargain hunting alike make knock-offs particularly attractive to the consumer’s insatiable appetite. This trend...more
1/18/2019
/ Copyright ,
Copyright Registration ,
Design Patent ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Functionality ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
IP Portfolio ,
Jewelry ,
Originality ,
Patent Applications ,
Product Packaging ,
Trade Dress ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO
On October 19, 2018 plaintiffs CAR-FRESHNER Corporation (“CFC”) and Julius Sämann Ltd (“JSL”) filed suit against Balenciaga America, Inc. for alleged trademark infringement, false designation of origin, trademark dilution,...more
In April 2016, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (known mononymously as “Beyoncé”) filed a trademark suit in the Southern District of New York against Feyonce, Inc., an online business that sells clothing, apparel, and assorted goods...more
10/29/2018
/ Beyonce ,
Dilution ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Genuine Issue of Material Fact ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Likelihood of Confusion ,
Puns ,
Summary Judgment ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks ,
Unfair Competition ,
Unjust Enrichment
Fashion Week San Diego is this weekend—one of the few fashion shows open to the fashion industry and the general public! Fashion shows are exhilarating. As an intellectual property (“IP”) attorney, however, fashion shows...more
On September 7, 2018, Olaplex, LLC and LIQWD, INC. (collectively, “Olaplex”) filed suit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Verbena Products, LLC d/b/a BEAUTYVICE and Robert Roque...more
Update: U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain has awarded Tiffany & Co. $11.1 million in treble profits and $8.25 million in punitive damages. Judge Taylor Swain wrote in her opinion that Costco’s management “displayed...more
8/18/2017
/ Corporate Branding ,
Costco ,
Damages ,
Genericide ,
Jury Trial ,
Lost Profits ,
Punitive Damages ,
Summary Judgment ,
Tiffany and Company ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks ,
Treble Damages ,
Unfair Competition
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), the primary federal agency responsible for securing America’s borders, is also charged with the protection of intellectual property rights and guarding against the infringement of...more
8/15/2017
/ China ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Registration ,
Counterfeiting ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Industry ,
Illegal Imports ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Recordation ,
Search & Seizure ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks
Trademark law is an important form of protection for the fashion and beauty industry. It protects both brand owners and consumers by regulating the registration of brands, or source identifiers, of fashion and beauty...more
7/25/2017
/ Disparagement ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Industry ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Government Speech Doctrine ,
Lanham Act ,
Matal v Tam ,
Redskins ,
SCOTUS ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks
In a recent precedential decision, In re University of Miami, Serial No. 86616382 (T.T.A.B. June 6, 2017), the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (the “TTAB”) clarified the scope of the doctrine of trademark mutilation....more
On June 1, 2017, noted music and fashion photographer Danny Clinch filed suit in the Southern District of New York in connection with the use of two photographs of famed rapper Tupac Shukar (“Tupac”) on t-shirts. The...more
7/4/2017
/ Accounting ,
Celebrities ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Damages ,
Exclusive Use ,
Fashion Industry ,
Fraud ,
Injunctive Relief ,
IP License ,
Legal Fees ,
Manufacturers ,
Music Industry ,
Name and Likeness ,
Photographs ,
Popular ,
Retailers ,
Right of Publicity ,
Trademarks
Over the last year, there have been some significant trademark and copyright cases in the fashion industry. Below are summaries of recent cases all brand owners should know and understand. These cases touch on important...more
6/9/2017
/ Brand ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyrightable Subject Matter ,
Disparagement ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Industry ,
First Amendment ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Lee v Tam ,
Louis Vuitton ,
Paintings Sculptures and Engravings ,
Parody ,
Punitive Damages ,
SCOTUS ,
Secondary Meaning ,
Star Athletica v Varsity Brands ,
Tiffany and Company ,
Trade Dress ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks ,
Uniforms
Does the use of Google AdWords amount to the advertising, promoting, marketing, or offering for sale of goods covered by a registered trademark? Tipsy Elves, LLC. vs. Ugly Christmas Sweater, Inc. is the latest in a string of...more
6/8/2017
/ AdWords ,
Consumer Confusion ,
Deceptive Intent ,
False Advertising ,
Fashion Industry ,
Google ,
Keyword Advertising ,
Lanham Act ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks ,
Young Lawyers
In the fashion and beauty world, the copying of higher-priced brands is widespread. While in fashion, the term for copies of designer products is “knockoffs,” in beauty, the term is “dupes.” Whether it is a colloquial use of...more
On March 24, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the term “red gold” may not be a generic term for jewelry and watches, and thus, may serve as a trademark. Specifically, the Ninth Circuit found...more
4/12/2017
/ Appeals ,
Declaration ,
Evidence ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Industry ,
Generic ,
Jury Trial ,
Louis Vuitton ,
Remand ,
Trade Associations ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
Triable Issue of Fact