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
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
On June 19, 2020, Kim Kardashian West’s (“Kardashian West”) company KKW Beauty, LLC (“KKW”) was sued in California Superior Court by its business partners Seed Beauty (“Seed”) alleging trade secret infringement. According to...more
8/18/2020
/ Breach of Contract ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Cosmetics ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Irreparable Harm ,
Kardashians ,
Kim Kardashian ,
Misappropriation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Proprietary Information ,
Trade Secrets ,
TRO
On May 12, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued over 700 new design patents. Fashion-related designs figured prominently among the new patent grants including accessories like eyeglasses (see U.S. Design...more
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
On April 10, personal protective equipment (“PPE”) manufacturer 3M filed suit against Performance Supply LLC for trademark infringement, deceptive practices, and false advertising. In its complaint, 3M alleges that...more
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
Eliya Inc., known for its BERNIE MEV® shoes, filed a declaratory judgment action against Skechers on January 29, 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Skechers had sent a cease and desist...more
2/23/2019
/ Cease and Desist ,
Declaratory Judgments ,
Design Patent ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Functionality ,
Nonobvious ,
Novelty ,
Ornamental Design ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Section 101 ,
Section 102 ,
Skechers ,
Substantially Similar
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
On October 23, 2018, Rube P. Hoffman, a California textile manufacturer known for their Hawaiian prints and aloha shirts, filed a copyright infringement suit in the Central District of California against Zara USA, Inc., one...more
1/21/2019
/ Affirmative Defenses ,
Burden of Proof ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Ownership ,
Copyright Registration ,
Fair Use ,
Fashion Industry ,
Lanham Act ,
Manufacturers ,
Textiles ,
Unfair Competition
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
Two high-end, off-price fashion brands are duking it out over an employee jumping ship from Century 21 Department Stores, LLC to Rue Gilt Groupe. On November 5, 2018, Century 21 sued Rue Gilt Groupe and Berenice Arcuri in...more
12/13/2018
/ Breach of Contract ,
Choice-of-Law ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Former Employee ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Proprietary Information ,
Restraint of Trade ,
Trade Secrets
In 2017, New Jersey based biotech startup Modern Meadow launched Zoa, which it considers “[t]he world’s first bioleather materials brand.” Zoa, a name derived from the Greek term for life, zoi, features products created with...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
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
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
The U.S. Supreme Court issued their opinion on Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands on Wednesday, March 22. Should fashion designers rejoice or be fearful? That depends. Designers who repeatedly have original fashion designs...more
3/30/2017
/ Cheerleaders ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyrightable Subject Matter ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Graphic Designs ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 101 ,
Separability ,
Sports Apparel ,
Star Athletica v Varsity Brands ,
The Copyright Act ,
Uniforms ,
Utilitarian Function
Airwair, the owner of the Dr. Martens brand, recently launched a series of lawsuits in the Northern District of California to enforce the trade dress of its “iconic boots and shoes.” One lawsuit was filed in October against...more
3/27/2017
/ Consent Order ,
Design Patent ,
Dilution ,
False Designation of Origin ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Inherently Distinctive ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Lanham Act ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Secondary Meaning ,
Service Marks ,
Trade Dress ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks ,
Unfair Competition