Levi's Files Suit Against Polo

[dilemma]

Levi's Files Suit Against Polo

Published: Monday, July 23, 2007

By Joanna Ramey

SAN FRANCISCO — Levi Strauss & Co. has taken Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. to court, alleging the sportswear company illegally copied the jeans maker's trademarked pocket stitching design.

Levi's said in federal court documents here that the stitching, known as an arcuate design, has been legally protected since 1873 and is the oldest known apparel trademark in the country.

Polo Ralph Lauren "has in the past and continues to manufacture, source, market and/or sell clothing that displays stitching designs that are confusingly similar to [Levi Strauss & Co.'s] arcuate trademark," the civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on July 12 reads.

Levi's attorneys also note the denim brand is fighting a pending Polo Ralph Lauren-trademark application for the design in question.

Levi's is seeking compensation for unspecified losses in profits and other damages, as well as a court injunction to stop Polo Ralph Lauren from making any product using an arcuate design that looks like Levi's famous two bowed lines connecting at a point. The lawsuit contained photos of two Lauren pairs of jeans that Levi's is protesting, one distressed with a buckle across the back and another standard five-pocket style with an "RR" logo on the waistband.

Polo Ralph Lauren has 30 days to respond to Levi's complaint. As of Friday, Polo Ralph Lauren attorneys had not been served with the lawsuit, and a spokesman said the company could not comment, as a result.

http://www.wwd.com/issue/article/117482

[>++fishb0neR]

okay okay, Nike, Hanes, Adidas, Mr. Hilfiger, Miss Karan (NY), Fruit of the Loom, watch your backs...

LEVIS IS ON THE PROWL

"they all used cotton thread- we invented that in 18767276!!!"

-Levi Strauss & Co.

[kiya]

Supreme/Stussy is next on the list.

You heard it here first.

[emaze]

-any pics of the polo stuff?

[rome1]

Things to to when you own a multimillion dollar company:

sue other multimillion dollar companies.

[Darkeside]

Levi's are just making themselves look stupid. what a waste of everyones time, but a great way to increase interest in ralph jeans.

[twistedtrees]

bitch threw all my clothes out the windows

so when the wind blows

you can see my polos & timbos

Sorry, was reading the favorite hip hop lines thread & had Biggie still stuck in my head.

[the_state]

Supreme/Stussy is next on the list.

You heard it here first.

for the red tab on supreme jeans?!?! wow they're really reaching.

[cheep]

Supreme/Stussy is next on the list.

You heard it here first.

supreme does use a red tab.

-any pics of the polo stuff?

could be this? i doubt it tho since these were older rrl.

[>++fishb0neR]

-any pics of the polo stuff?

the only 'arcuate' (and it's not much of one) that i recall seeing on polo jeans is a straight line across.......

hazy memory brings to mind one that is reminiscent of Edwin's double-shaped ting

but i haven't purchased polo or RRL gear in a while

BUT- i do recall a pair of RRLs posted on sufu that resembled the warehouse arcuate/decorate sticthing...i dunno though

[drofhiphopology]

but supreme/stussy don't have arcuates though?

[kiya]

for the red tab on supreme jeans?!?! wow they're really reaching.

That's not really reaching... It's a red tab placed between two pieces of fabric which form a pocket. It's exactly what's in their trademark.

[jubei]

I hope by the RR on the waistband, they're not talking about RRLs... those are probably my fave American produced jeans.

Although, if this means that RRLs are "mysetriously" going to find their way to eBay at bargain prices I won't mind too much...

[sleazie ninja number 47]

If I win the lottery, I'm suing mad headz... You heard it here first.

[homi29]

another one in the fuck levis file

[indigo_junkie]

This is awesome. If I ever start a denim line, I'm going to stick a red tab and arcs and mail it directly to Levi's legal department. And then just wait for the fireworks to start. Think of all the free publiciity.

[jayrock]

I will never buy Levi's again

[cuddlysheep]

down with levis, therye a bunch of bitches .team fuck levis

[partytaco]

i haven't been keeping up on the levis lawsuits so maybe i'm missing a key point but the way i see it is they hold/own the copyright so why shouldn't they sue? wouldn't you do the same? why is everyone so against levis on this? it just seems like a lot of bandwagon jumping to me.

[gimmegimme]

I thought polo jeans only have two straight horizontal stitch lines on the back pockets...no one would mistake that for levi's.

[iamstarwars]

i haven't been keeping up on the levis lawsuits so maybe i'm missing a key point but the way i see it is they hold/own the copyright so why shouldn't they sue? wouldn't you do the same? why is everyone so against levis on this? it just seems like a lot of bandwagon jumping to me.

It is a very bandwagon-like movement. People are still not over the lawsuits of last winter, while the sued brands already proved us they wouldn't be stop by that. Levi's is absolutly in its right, but it's always cooler to bitch about them because they're a big corporation attacking little companies. I totally understand how people on this board feel closer to these smaller, original companies, and I myself feel like I have a very emotionally charged relationship with these brands, but that doesn't excuse insulting a brand that historically brought so much to us. Oh well. Let's wait to see how it ends.

[rnrswitch]

i haven't been keeping up on the levis lawsuits so maybe i'm missing a key point but the way i see it is they hold/own the copyright so why shouldn't they sue? wouldn't you do the same? why is everyone so against levis on this? it just seems like a lot of bandwagon jumping to me.

Your kidding right? My beef is with the fact that you can copyright such a meaningless stitch or a red tab with certain placement. I would like to see the design in question, because I highly doubt it looks much like the levis arcuate. Also, isn't copyright infringement suppose to be more about copying of ideas and theft than just design. I don't think anyone bought Polo jeans thinking they are Levis. If levis wins this law suit I would love to see some actual proof of monetary loss due to the back pocket stitching. It seems they will lose more money with the amount of money they throw at their lawyers than they should get from the lawsuit.

[Guest Airjamie]

This type of shit is nothing new. Fender and Gibson have been doing this since the 80s. Back in the day fender sued everyone under the sun for using their headstock designs. Gibsons most motable lawsuits have been against esp and prs. The gibson suits were alot more questionable as the guitars in question bore only a passing resemblance to gibsons designs. However, gibson won both cases, although as of 2006 the PRS decision has been overturned, though this doesnt really give me that much hope; the second prs got out of court they filed similar lawsuits against a dozen or so smaller guitar manufacturers, so i wouldnt be suprised to see some other companies (likely in the streetwear world) filing some lawsuits of their own.

[partytaco]

the tab placement is genious i have yet to see on any pair of jeans EVER anything that looked as good as that little red tab. this is just part of what makes levis so iconic and i see nothing wrong with them defending any part of what copyright they hold. i don't think what you have here is a bunch of 20 year old brainless twits making thoughtless bold moves against companies like Polo. this is a huge corporation and i'm sure they have a pretty competent legal team advising them on what is within the guidelines of the law and the copyrights they control.

Your kidding right? My beef is with the fact that you can copyright such a meaningless stitch or a red tab with certain placement. I would like to see the design in question, because I highly doubt it looks much like the levis arcuate. Also, isn't copyright infringement suppose to be more about copying of ideas and theft than just design. I don't think anyone bought Polo jeans thinking they are Levis. If levis wins this law suit I would love to see some actual proof of monetary loss due to the back pocket stitching. It seems they will lose more money with the amount of money they throw at their lawyers than they should get from the lawsuit.

[Guest Airjamie]

Jnco had pretty sweet tabs.

[blm14]

Both sides are stupid - Levis are stupid for thinking anyone would really confuse the RRL back pocket design with levis' own. And even if they did, so what? It's good for Levis if someone sees jeans they like and thinks it's their product.

Other denim manufacturers are being stupid if they think they can copy a trademark and get away with it when the trademark in question is so iconic and the company as large as levi strauss. I know people will disagree with me because they like these repros that are made of crazy good denim, and I got my first neg because of this viewpoint, but I maintain that 6 inches of back pocket stitching does not make or break the design of a pair of jeans. You can rip the stitching out, as it's purely ornamental, or add your own later. It's a relatively minor part of the design, for me.

[rnrswitch]

the tab placement is genious i have yet to see on any pair of jeans EVER anything that looked as good as that little red tab. this is just part of what makes levis so iconic and i see nothing wrong with them defending any part of what copyright they hold. i don't think what you have here is a bunch of 20 year old brainless twits making thoughtless bold moves against companies like Polo. this is a huge corporation and i'm sure they have a pretty competent legal team advising them on what is within the guidelines of the law and the copyrights they control.

I could care less if they are in their right according to the law, I don't agree with the law itself that protects such frivolity.

[partytaco]

how can you say that details like the red tab, it's placement and the arcuate are frivolous details? i mean i would expect someone who didn't care about denim/jeans or its history to have that opinion but i'm pretty certain that these are things that you give a shit about or you probably wouldn't be on this board or reading this thread.

These laws are in place for a reason and what might seem frivolous to you i see as setting a precedent that this type of careless disregard for boundaries will not be tolerated. There are ways to pay respect to something that you admire other than ripping it off like Sugarcane or maybe Ralph Lauren/Polo did. Anyone who is an artist in any field should agree with that.

I could care less if they are in their right according to the law, I don't agree with the law itself that protects such frivolity.

[XX]

If you arent going to protect your trademark, why get it in the first place? I understand that some of Levis claims are a little ridiculous but I get the logic behind it.

Now this I think is pretty crazy - theres a company that makes instrument cables called "Monster Cable" and theyre suing anyone that uses the name Monster, even if its unrelated to audio gear. They were even suing the Scooby Doo Monsters Unleashed movie. I saw a list somewhere online that listed all the lawsuits but I cant seem to find it now.

[homi29]

It is a very bandwagon-like movement. People are still not over the lawsuits of last winter, while the sued brands already proved us they wouldn't be stop by that. Levi's is absolutly in its right, but it's always cooler to bitch about them because they're a big corporation attacking little companies. I totally understand how people on this board feel closer to these smaller, original companies, and I myself feel like I have a very emotionally charged relationship with these brands, but that doesn't excuse insulting a brand that historically brought so much to us. Oh well. Let's wait to see how it ends.

its also a case of what have u done for me lately, and when it comes to levis

the answer is fuck all