Levi's takes on Japanese Denim Resellers and Manufacturers

[airfrogusmc]

Its all in the courts hands but its very clear that Levis has their arcuate as a trademark so again don't be surprised when they inforce it. It s really that simple. Lee and Wrangler have managed to be able to co exisist with Levis.

[nairb49]

I wonder what the situation is in terms of Levi's branding becoming not so much a brand, but something iconic that isn't "trademarkable". ie. something that innately belongs to a pair of jeans, like denim, or the indigo colour being used....

A bit of a stretch, but sort of like a bicycle's geometry. All the companies use the basic geometry, but each one tweaks it in a certain way that is patentable by using combinations of materials etc.

I know its on a different level, but its all rhetorical anyway....

[LeatherSeatBelt]

The White Mans Trying To Put Us Down!

[viv1984viv]

Well well well, I just read Horriblyjollyjinx's blog entry on this topic, its a bit of a shitta isnt it? Id rather the japanese companys pay royaltys to levi so people can keep wearing jeans with a classic aesthetic, but with qualtiy fabric and construction....

Levi have every right to protect their image and aesthetic, but I dont think ill be buying levi jeans, solely for this aesthetic, however I will carry on ordering through 2000db for quality japanese jeans. Its going to be superinteresting to see all the new acurates.... i cant wait.

Does this mean no tabs at all? Or just no red tabs?

[thelion1856]

i think it means no tabs at all. The sugar cane hawaii's seem to have been affected by all this but not the sugar cane okinowa's. the hawaii's only have one levis infringment and thats a black tab on the back right pocet that says cane's on it, where the okinowa's dont have that.

[Dex_star]

is BiG's online store still shipping?

i thought all sales had to stop friday

(sorry if this has been asked already, i havent been keeping up)

[nairb49]

I assume this means at customs they're going to start being careful with jeans shipments (of any kind) and if they find one of the offending packages after Friday they'll confiscate???

[deadpan]

I assume this means at customs they're going to start being careful with jeans shipments (of any kind) and if they find one of the offending packages after Friday they'll confiscate???

My Samies arrived Tuesday-just in time! I'm tempted to order 1 more pair just to see if they get through...but it's an expensive experiment...

[the black arm]

Its all in the courts hands but its very clear that Levis has their arcuate as a trademark so again don't be surprised when they inforce it. It s really that simple. Lee and Wrangler have managed to be able to co exisist with Levis.

yeah, I'm not surprised, and I endorse them enforcing their trademark, I just wish they would be more strategic towards this specific group of jean makers; this group is different in both intent and execution than the common, mass, fake manufacturers.

[fakerockfan]

They should sue McDonald's now...

[drofhiphopology]

haha oh yeah mcdonalds japan(or HK?) had those red monkey's with the arches on the left butt pocket.

[Ahlvahroe]

after a few days of marinating on this i was thinking, will this lead to more readily available japanese selvedge denim. will we be able to go to the local nordstroms and get some 'american friendly' japanese denim. even after getting rid of all the overt brandings we would still something like an eternal, good denim nice indigo/fading. then again i personally like having a back pocket stitching just trying to rationalize.

[MilSpex]

I wonder when Colt firearms is going to sue Tokyo Marui for making replicas of their weapons. Even stamping `Colt` on `em.

[Panda-san]

after a few days of marinating on this i was thinking, will this lead to more readily available japanese selvedge denim. will we be able to go to the local nordstroms and get some 'american friendly' japanese denim. even after getting rid of all the overt brandings we would still something like an eternal, good denim nice indigo/fading. then again i personally like having a back pocket stitching just trying to rationalize.

I went to the local Neiman Marcus outlet last night, and I was surprised to see Blue Blood denim on sale. They had a few different washes, one of which used a very soft selvege denim.

[Guest jeffvyain]

I totally understand that it hasn't been decided but quality should have no bearing on whether the law has been broken or not. If you're a company in question why not just change your arcuate so it complies and trademark it or better yet do that before you start production?

The thing again that I find most disturbing is that not many see this as the offenders problem and its their responsibility to comply but its the problem of the company that is protecting its image.

Oh and just another thought I feel it should be the companies responsibility if there any question to make sure its not in any kind of trademark problem not Levis to contact them and try and work something out after the fact. They should have considered this before they went into production.

The only part of this that I agree with is that yes, they should've considered this before they went into production. While I understand the moral issues with what you said, legally, you can rip off of someone all you want until they decide to bring it to court. Furthermore, it has yet to be decided (and unfortunately, it probably won't be) in court whether this is even considered a trademark infringement. As we have stated before, these companies aren't selling these jeans as levi's, nor are any of the details exactly the same; rather, they are all variations, and these intentional variations were obviously for the purpose of NOT confusing these jeans with levi's.

[Superstar]

I assume this means at customs they're going to start being careful with jeans shipments (of any kind) and if they find one of the offending packages after Friday they'll confiscate???

Ordered a pair of SD-103's this friday through 2000dB... i guess (and hope) that every custom beside US, cares a shitload about denim.... so im sitting around just hoping that i didnt throw 250$ out the window...

[blm14]

Ordered a pair of SD-103's this friday through 2000dB... i guess (and hope) that every custom beside US, cares a shitload about denim.... so im sitting around just hoping that i didnt throw 250$ out the window...

I have never, and I mean NEVER, heard of US customs opening a parcel containing apparel for inspection.

[Geowu]

I have never, and I mean NEVER, heard of US customs opening a parcel containing apparel for inspection.

I've heard from US customs opening vintage Japanese jeans, destroying them for their similarity to Levis, here in Superfuture. It was around a year ago, I can't find the thread though.

[Superstar]

I've heard from US customs opening vintage Japanese jeans, destroying them for their similarity to Levis, here in Superfuture. It was around a year ago, I can't find the thread though.

luckily im not going through that then... only japanese and danish customs i guess... i have NEVER ever heard of danish customs opening anything... hell, they once missed out on a mail-bomb, destroyed and entire post office... haha...

[tweeds]

for what it's worth...three blogs about the "denim news"

all via kiya it seems

http://denimnews.blogspot.com/2007/01/levis-evils-word-on-street-is-levi.html

http://fooshblog.wordpress.com/2007/01/18/attention-denim-heads/

http://www.slamxhype.com/?p=11783

while horriblyjollyjinx adds in a moment of pause:

http://repeattofade.blogspot.com/2007/01/levis-against-world.html

as much press as you're going to see i suppose

[Begåvningsreserven]

I wonder when Colt firearms is going to sue Tokyo Marui for making replicas of their weapons. Even stamping `Colt` on `em.

they'll just have to invite Marui to a weekend of airsoft fun in the woods. Both teams will have to use their own companys products.

[Kasper]

annoncing the news on denim by copying kiya's post and not linking them....

http://fooshblog.wordpress.com/2007/01/18/attention-denim-heads/

[ishtob]

damn... so Levi's is suing Self Edge, but according to that 3sixteen interview, Levi's wants to make a jean for Self Edge too. ...

wait... wat?! that doesnt really make sense does it, why would they want to help a store at the same time want to put it out of business?

[Geowu]

wait... wat?! that doesnt really make sense does it, why would they want to help a store at the same time want to put it out of business?

"Levi's legal department and creative department don't interact with each other"

[sneakeraddict]

I would just like to ask the designer guy at Levis, who posted a few pages back, why Levis doesnt just do a 'regular STF' but with selvedge.

i.e. there is no need for historical details to be reproduced etc, and no need for 'limited' availability in only Tier 1 stores etc. EASILY AVAILABLE!!

would really like to see these.

[cheapmuthafukr]

I would just like to ask the designer guy at Levis, who posted a few pages back, why Levis doesnt just do a 'regular STF' but with selvedge.

i.e. there is no need for historical details to be reproduced etc, and no need for 'limited' availability in only Tier 1 stores etc. EASILY AVAILABLE!!

would really like to see these.

+100

id buy them exclusivley, as long as they are made in the usa.

[sneakeraddict]

I guess he won't post again because of our criticisms of Levis actions, which is a shame.

anyways, we put the idea in his head, so all we can do is hope and pray.

CMF, maybe we will have to settle for made in Columbia/Mexico? Whatever, as long as the workers take some pride in the end products, I would be happy.

[cheapmuthafukr]

no... id buy japanese denim before levis made anywhere but the us. i like to support industrys in my own country, which is the reason i woudnt buy levis now.

bring production back to the us!

[dmaz]

no... id buy japanese denim before levis made anywhere but the us. i like to support industrys in my own country, which is the reason i woudnt buy levis now.

bring production back to the us!

amen brother.

[386]

Are we going to get to see some arcuate designs today? I thought I read days and pages back.