Gucci suing Guess over fashion trademarks
It was fashion versus fashion as luxury retailer Gucci America Inc. faced off in court against Los Angeles clothier Guess Inc. over a multimillion-dollar trademark lawsuit.
In the opening day of trial in Manhattan, Gucci accused Guess of copying its designs in a “complicated scheme” to knock off the Italian fashion company’s most iconic trademarks, according to Bloomberg.
The saga began three years ago when Gucci, a unit of the French luxury conglomerate PPR, filed suit against Guess alleging the California company tried to “Gucci-ize” its products by crafting logos that closely imitated Gucci trademarks. The lawsuit pointed to Gucci’s square G logo, its green and red stripes, and its interlocking G pattern as designs that Guess had allegedly copied.
Gucci alleged that Guess’ designs so closely resembled its own trademarks as to cause confusion among shoppers.
“It’s about a massive, complicated scheme to knock off Gucci’s best-known and iconic designs,” Gucci attorney Louis Ederer said in court Wednesday, according to Bloomberg.
In court documents, Guess struck back, saying that Gucci can’t cry foul because it “sat on its rights” and waited at least seven years before suing, Bloomberg said.
Guess also said that Gucci has “no evidence” that the designs in question would cause consumers to become confused.
U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin, who is presiding over the trial in lieu of a jury, had previously determined that Gucci had produced evidence to proceed with a straightforward infringement lawsuit, but dismissed other claims alleging trademark dilution.
Gucci is seeking damages and other penalties in excess of $124 million, Bloomberg said.
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