Coach, the New York-based luxury handbag maker, has filed a lawsuit against clothing retailer Gap, accusing its Old Navy unit of illegally selling t-shirts bearing the word Coach. In the trademark infringement lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court, Coach and its parent company, Tapestry, allege that Gap never received permission to sell the t-shirts and that the sale is likely to confuse customers into believing Coach was involved in their production.
Coach claims that the unauthorized use of its trademarks on the t-shirts has caused "irreparable harm" because Coach's trademarks symbolize "a unique blend of fashion, craftsmanship, style, and function" reflected in the sale of "luxury lifestyle items," not t-shirts. The apparel brand, founded in 1941, seeks unspecified damages for trademark infringement, counterfeiting, and violations of a California unfair competition law, as well as the destruction of unsold inventory of the infringing clothing.
While many luxury retailers file lawsuits to prevent the sale of alleged knockoffs, the defendants are often small businesses, importers, and website operators rather than publicly traded companies such as Gap, based in San Francisco, has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The case, titled Tapestry Inc et al v Gap Inc, has been filed in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, under the case number 24-02697.As the legal battle unfolds, the fashion industry and consumers alike will be closely watching to see how the court addresses the alleged trademark infringement and its potential impact on both brands.
