Coach sues Gap for selling ‘Coach’ T-shirts

FILE PHOTO: People walk past a store of the Coach luxury fashion retailer in a shopping district in Beijing, China, October 19, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

Coach sued Gap on Wednesday, accusing the retailer’s Old Navy unit of illegally selling T-shirts emblazoned with the word “Coach.”

In a trademark infringement lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court, the luxury handbag maker and its parent, Tapestry, said they never permitted Gap to sell the T-shirts, and the sale was likely to confuse customers into believing Coach was involved.

They said this had caused “irreparable harm” because Coach trademarks symbolized “a unique blend of fashion, craftsmanship, style, and function” reflected in the sale of “luxury lifestyle items,” not T-shirts. Coach was founded in 1941.

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Gap, based in San Francisco, declined to comment, saying it does not discuss pending litigation.

Coach, based in New York, is seeking unspecified damages for trademark infringement, counterfeiting, and violations of a California unfair competition law. It also wants the destruction of unsold inventory of infringing clothing.

FILE PHOTO: The Gap logo is seen on the front of the company’s store in Paris, France, July 1, 2021. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo

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Many luxury retailers file lawsuits to thwart the sale of alleged knockoffs, though the defendants are often small businesses, importers and website operators rather than publicly traded companies such as Gap.

A lawyer for Coach did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.

The case is Tapestry Inc et al v Gap Inc, United States District Court, Central District of California, No. 24-02697.