LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The second chapter of the trademark dispute between Gucci and GUESS (NYSE: GES) concluded in Italy on May 2nd, 2013 after the Court of Milan, in an 83 page ruling, rejected all claims brought by the Florentine-based label against GUESS. Moreover, the Italian Court has ordered the cancellation of certain of Gucci's diamond pattern, G logo, and "Flora" pattern trademarks. The cancelled registrations included 3 Italian trademarks and 4 trademarks covering the European Community. The Court has also rejected Gucci's rights in a "Square G" logo.
In 2009, along with a similar action in
New York,
Gucci filed suit against GUESS in
Milan, the fashion capital of
Europe. Subsequent actions were filed in
Paris and
Nanjing,
China. The logos in the
Milan dispute were similar to those in
New York as were the claims, which included trademark infringement, counterfeiting and unfair competition. The
New York case ended in 2012, with
Gucci receiving minimal monetary damages and narrow injunctions on a handful of logos. Now, the Court in
Milan has totally rejected all of
Gucci's claims.
The Milan verdict is an important decision and judgment, not only because it has been issued in Italy, the birthplace of the Gucci brand, but also because the Court agreed with GUESS in practically all its principal arguments, ruling that the diamond pattern and floral motifs are common in the world of fashion and, in particular, that the popular GUESS Quattro G logo pattern (also with a single G in the corner of the diamond) has "nothing to do" with Gucci's interlocking double G pattern, one of the principal claims made by Gucci.
The judgment also confirmed one of the key pillars of the GUESS defense, previously expressed in the New York trial, that there is no foundation to Gucci's accusation that GUESS was trying to "Gucci-ize" its brand or attempting to confuse customers and dilute the Gucci brand.
Paul Marciano expressed his total satisfaction with the decision, which vindicates the GUESS position and reconfirms his belief that Gucci grossly overreached in its claims. "The Italian Court in Milan ruled today against each and every single claim that Gucci filed against Guess 4 years ago. In the same ruling the Court invalidated some of Gucci's trademark registrations, including the floral print and diamond G logos. GUESS intends to continue to vigorously defend its trademark rights," said Paul Marciano, CEO of GUESS. He continued, "The tactics of Gucci are nothing less than bullying. Because of their endless resources, Gucci has been forum shopping all over the world to try and stop GUESS from expanding its successful accessories business. It's fundamentally wrong and unconscionable. There are global trends that Gucci itself follows as anyone does in fashion; they are no different from GUESS in that regard." Mr. Marciano added, "In my opinion, the 3 year battle in New York and 4 years in Milan was a result of massive and unnecessary litigation that should have been easily resolved with a simple phone call, which Gucci never made."
The Italian Court, reiterating "the remarkable notoriety of the GUESS trademarks," has definitively rejected the possibility that any likelihood of confusion could exist, even hypothetically, between the products and the trademarks of Gucci and those of GUESS.
ABOUT GUESS?, INC.
Established in 1981, GUESS began as a denim company and has since successfully grown into a global lifestyle brand. Today, GUESS designs, markets and distributes full collections of women's, men's and children's apparel as well as accessories. Throughout the years, the GUESS image has been portrayed in unforgettable, innovative campaigns that have made the brand a household name. GUESS is distributed throughout the world in fine department and specialty stores, its retail and factory stores, and on its online store www.GUESS.com. GUESS has licensees and distributors in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East. In addition to shopping online, you can find more information on GUESS at www.guess.com.
Contact:
Jenia Molnar
GUESS? Inc.
212.852.0526
Jmolnar@guess.com
SOURCE Guess?, Inc.
