The fashion industry is not all unicorns, and rainbows. On occasion, we must disagree over licensing agreements, trademarks, and other issues. One of the largest concerns of fashion designers and brands would be another company knocking off their designs.
The British luxury fashion brand Burberry Group Plc, appears
to have sued J. C. Penney Co on Tuesday February 9, 2016. They are accusing the
U.S. retailer of trademark infringement for selling outerwear that featured
exact copies of its famous "Burberry check" pattern.
Below is an example of the Burberry plaid for reference.
In a complaint filed in U.S. district court in Manhattan,
Burberry accused J.C. Penney of illegally selling "quilted jackets" with the
pattern, as well as "scarf coats" in which scarves carrying the pattern were
sold with matching coats.
The case is Burberry Ltd v. J.C. Penney Corp et al, U.S.
District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-00982.
Burberry said it has used its check trademark since the
1920s, in its original red, camel, black and white color combination as well as
other combinations.
Should J.C Penny have known better then to be selling copycat
coats and scarves? Let’s be honest, most people are familiar with the Burberry
plaid pattern.
Learn more about copycat fashion
in our terms section.
Burberry's check design is recognized around the world as a symbol of high-fashion, it is not a good idea to knock-off that design.
Learn more about
Burberry from their profile on Apparel Search.
If you don't care about any of this but simply want to shop for luxurious looking jackets or scarves, you are welcome to visit the JCPenney website or the Burberry website. We are not taking sides, and don't care where you choose to buy clothing or accessories.
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