Levi Strauss sues over red tabs

According to World IP Review, Levi Strauss (Levi's) is taking Connecticut clothing retailer Vineyard Vines to court in the US for trade mark infringement relating to red tabs attached to the back pockets of jeans, despite those tabs having Vineyard Vines' logo on.

Proceedings were reportedly issued last week in the Northern District of California. Readers may be aware the Levi's jeans have iconic red tabs sewn onto their back pockets. According to The Fashion Law blog, Levi's has used the red tabs continuously since 1936, building up a substantial goodwill in the 'mark'. Levi's claims Vineyard Vines' offering for sale of its jeans bearing red tabs, are likely to cause consumer confusion leading to a belief that the jeans either originate from or are produced in collaboration with Levi's.

Levi Strauss has taken legal action to protect its intellectual property rights on numerous occasions this in recent years, against both counterfeiters and competitors.

If you have any questions on the above, please do not hesitate to contact the team at McDaniel & Co. on 0191 281 4000 or legal@mcdanielslaw.com.