New developments in the Levi's vs Japanese repros story

[Paul T]

A Portaloo is a trademarked name for the portable toilets you see at festivals. Don't use the word to describe any old portable toilet unless you want to receive a lawyer's letter (and this is the only part of my advice that comes without a disclaimer...)

[fre-co]

A portable loo....(toilet)

How the hell did you end up being threatened by portaloo Paul?

PaulT-loo?

[gimmegimme]

A Portaloo is a trademarked name for the portable toilets you see at festivals. Don't use the word to describe any old portable toilet unless you want to receive a lawyer's letter (and this is the only part of my advice that comes without a disclaimer...)

Ha...that's funny. In Canada we call them PortaPotties.

[Paul T]

How the hell did you end up being threatened by portaloo?

PaulT-loo?

`every time the mags I worked on cover a music festival, some writer ALWAYS mentions the portaloos. I was the one who always seemed to get the threatening letters. I mean, I did once lose a legal battle with Don Arden (google him), but getting my ass whupped by Portaloo would have been TOO humiliating.

Mind you, combing thru every publication in the world looking for illegal mentions of Portaloos must rank alongside emptying the damn things as one of the world's worst jobs...

Oh, and Cotton Duck, sorry for bringing this thread into the gutter, I'll get me coat now...)

[gimmegimme]

You can actually hire services that do watch-services for you...and you wouldn't believe how many companies do this.

[Kelvyno]

Snitches get stitches!

[wEstSidE]

i heard that they will offer rewards for snitchin...like in the kfc bargain bucket deal.

[Chicken]

something we learned tonight:

mr. nogami and samurai jeans are indeed going to fight this.

levi's are suing them for their backpocket designs and their tabs, but mr. nogami feels strongly that these are their identity now.

he said he feels like there are many people who have come to love their products with these details. so by giving them up without a fight is letting down his customers down. plus, he feels like his arcuates are so different from the levi's arcuates.

he is a very passionate man about his company and his work. yet he's extremely humble (he kept on collecting other people's empty beer cans and throwing them away and stuff). and a great sense of humor -- there was a constant laughter surrounding him all night.

good luck, mr. nogami.

[edmond]

all of us will be behind you mr nogami and samurai jeans! we will support you every step you make! long live samurai.. HAI!

[Chponglasia]

something we learned tonight:

mr. nogami and samurai jeans are indeed going to fight this.

levi's are suing them for their backpocket designs and their tabs, but mr. nogami feels strongly that these are their identity now.

he said he feels like there are many people who have come to love their products with these details. so by giving them up without a fight is letting down his customers down. plus, he feels like his arcuates are so different from the levi's arcuates.

he is a very passionate man about his company and his work. yet he's extremely humble (he kept on collecting other people's empty beer cans and throwing them away and stuff). and a great sense of humor -- there was a constant laughter surrounding him all night.

good luck, mr. nogami.

What about the red tab?

Thanks for the info, Chicken--obviously we're all pulling for Samurai on this one.

[7887]

Mr. Nogami, you know i would if i could, +rep for doing what you think is right. I honestly these artisan brands from japan should at least give it a fight before they give up, might as well fight together then going down one by one, like what they are doing right now

[dnarnya]

if levis made better jeans they wouldnt have this problem

[edmond]

if levis made better jeans they wouldnt have this problem

ture that

............

[drapygo]

Damn, reading that bit of info on him made my day, really seems like an awesome person. I don't have the money to spend on some Samurai's but one of these days I'll get me some BK's yo! It's also really awesome he knows about his fans wanting the arcuates and tabs.

[Chicken]

What about the red tab?

yup, they're going to fight about the red tab, too.

Damn, reading that bit of info on him made my day, really seems like an awesome person. I don't have the money to spend on some Samurai's but one of these days I'll get me some BK's yo! It's also really awesome he knows about his fans wanting the arcuates and tabs.

the way he put it it's about their fans and their identity. and of course, he said these things in a very kansai manner.

[gimmegimme]

Great news to hear!

I think our support for Samurai is evident, and I hope our past & future purchases of their products will help them maintain and regain their brand identity.

[jubei]

I loved how he was just mugging everytime a camera was pointed in his direction...

must've had a lot of practice from free & easy et al...

[jiomitori]

Ahh, what a badass. I wish I could have been there last night to meet him.

[batorizer]

I think this is great news that he's going to fight the levis case.

I don't know if anyone has, but you can go read through levis' SEC filings and in all the remarks about the company, maybe the marketing or competitors section, levis openly admits that they cannot compete due to a decrease in market share and huge amounts of debt, probably from their foray into suits. Anyone remember levis suits before levis presented Dockers? Well, if you don't, don't feel bad. Levis lost out big on that mistake.

[ZawBanjito]

Okay, I've decided - my next pair will be Samurai. Death to the beast, long live the rebellion!

[JohnnyRed]

I'm glad I hopped on the S5000VX bandwagon when I did. I love the jeans, I personally love the arcs and tab, and I fully support the company. I'm always juiced when people ask what these jeans are, and if they are Levi's. I'll definitely buy another pair of Sammies in the future, especially if they start experimenting with new cuts

[indigo_junkie]

plus, he feels like his arcuates are so different from the levi's arcuates.

Something I've been saying for ages. All the best for Mr Nogami and his fight against Levis. I own two pairs of Sams and am not going to stop there. the man is a legend.

[scoon0224]

I was curious for the same reason... Oni, SDA, Flathead and such are quite blatant. The new SDA arc (if it's okay) is no farther removed than the Sam arc. The Sam arc is definitely unmistakeable.

Besides this, Levi's has not gone after the companies over tabs for how many years? My understanding was that the tab was not registered early enough in Japan, with Levi's never obtaining the trademark there to begin with. So only the export to countries where it IS registered would be a problem.

[beatle]

Awesome....

[Tiro]

I was curious for the same reason... Oni, SDA, Flathead and such are quite blatant. The new SDA arc (if it's okay) is no farther removed than the Sam arc. The Sam arc is definitely unmistakeable.

Besides this, Levi's has not gone after the companies over tabs for how many years? My understanding was that the tab was not registered early enough in Japan, with Levi's never obtaining the trademark there to begin with. So only the export to countries where it IS registered would be a problem.

yeah tho, Toshiko told me that she could not send out jeans out of the country anymore at all, while I doubt very much that the red tab or arcs would be registered in Belgium... (then again, I guess Levi's wants them to not send out jeans at all out of Japan because they can't control where they are sent to eventually?)

anyhow, I hope Mr. Nogami is going to win this, Levi's should be making better jeans instead of complaining and hassteling the people that do make good jeans out there

[Bobbejaan]

its hard to say how this will end. Some will say its too much like levis. And i can imagine because they. Copied the Fit, tab and Arc style. But why doens't levi see that the jeans they make are for a whole other kind of person...I think they won't sell more jeans if these companies stop making jeans with arcs and tabs.

Does levis sell a lot of that "vintage" line ? because thats something thats in the same price range as our beloved jap repro's.

[ogkush]

Maybe the companies could just start providing do it yourself kits for arcs and tabs like they do with buttons sometimes. Do it yourself or take it to a tailor!

[Charlie Delta]

Sounds like there are updates to be had for this thread soon...

[hawkeye]

Kiya may be referring to this: (yikes!)

Levi's profit plunges 98 per cent as young shun its jeans

By Leonard Doylein Washington

Thursday, 10 July 2008

Levi Strauss's second-quarter net income plunged 98 per cent because of weak sales of Dockers and Levi's. The company – which began making its famous jeans in San Francisco in 1853 and which is one of the world's largest brand names in clothing – is considering moving its headquarters and all 1,000 employees across the Bay Bridge to Oakland to save money.

Levi Strauss is not the only clothing company in dire financial trouble. Steve & Barry's, the fast growing discount fashion retailer which is much loved by Sarah Jessica Parker, is expected to file for bankruptcy protection.

The collapse of Steve & Barry's will send shock waves through struggling shopping malls across America, which pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into luring the company into cavernous, empty spaces, some as large as 100,000 sq ft. All of those 275 shops may now close and the company's 16,000 employees are expected to be sacked. Anticipating a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, some vendors have halted shipments to the company.

Levi, which has a presence in more than 110 countries, has suffered through several years of declining sales as younger consumers gravitate to new brands. Wal-Mart's decision to cut back on Levi's inventory as it tries to shore up its own declining sales has also hurt.

The company reported revenue of $936m to 25 May, with $1.001bn in the year-earlier quarter. There were revenue increases in Europe and Asia Pacific but they only partly offset weak US sales. Net income fell from $46m to $1m.

In a conference call with reporters, Levi officials blamed computer software for causing a temporary block on orders being shipped to retail customers for a week. A number of retail customers have also cancelled orders, the officials said.

Levi's chief executive, John Anderson, expects US economic conditions to remain tough in the second quarter. Levi expects the rest of the year to be challenging, he said, "given the slowing macroeconomic indicators we are seeing globally."

Sales of the iconic brand topped out at $7.1bn in 1996, after which Levi went through an eight-year sales slide. The company is privately owned but has publicly traded bonds and therefore reports its earnings.

Mr Anderson took over in 2006 and has promised to make Levi more competitive and responsive to fashion trends.

[constant struggle]

hhahaha

if levi's goes under somehow would we be able to get arc/tab back? just wondering from a legal perspective