Patagonia Sues Gap, Claims Rival Copied Design of Fleece Pullover
Gap claims the Snap-T fleece is a redesigned item from the company's archive.
Patagonia is so convinced Gap's Arctic Fleece pullovers for men and kids are ripoffs of its own Snap-T Fleece that the company has filed a lawsuit against its rival in the US District Court of Northern California. In the complaint, Patagonia alleges the similarities could confuse consumers.
L: Patagonia | R: Gap
Business Insider (BI) reports that Patagonia first introduced its Snap-T Fleece in 1985, but competing brands—Gap among them—didn't begin selling fleece products until the 1990s.
Patagonia alleges that Gap is violating a trade law element called trade dress, or the characteristics of a product's appearance that tell customers who made the product. According to Patagonia, the similarities between its product and Gap's "cannot have occurred by accident."
It's a serious suit, as Patagonia seeks trial and damages in addition to all Snap-T Fleece profits and Gap's fleece inventory.
As BI notes, this is lousy timing for Gap, as the company is also dealing with the fallout from the dissolution of its collaboration with Kanye West, AKA Ye, in the form of the rapper's line of Yeezy products, which the company pulled from its stores last month—a $53 million loss, according to Gap.
Gap has yet to comment on the pending legal action.
Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
-
This Co-Founder Was Kicked Out of Retailers for Pitching a 'Taboo' Beauty Product. Now, Her Multi-Million-Dollar Company Sells It for More Than $20 an Ounce.
-
Have You Ever Obsessed Over 'What If'? According to Scientists, You Don't Actually Know What Would Have Fixed Everything.
-
After He Was Fired From the UFC, This Former Fighter Turned His Passion Into a Thriving Business
-
Most People Don't Know These 2 Things Are Resume Red Flags. A Career Expert Reveals How to Work Around Them.
-
How One Woman Turned Pandemic-Induced Boredom and a Makeshift Garage Art Studio Into a Thriving Franchise
-
Use These 4 Self-Care Rituals for More Resilience and Less Depletion
-
Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran Wants to Invest in 'Someone Who Probably Needs a Good Shrink Instead of a Business'
