UPDATE: It turns out that the courts agreed that no one would purchase Guess products thinking that "it's Gucci." An Italian court has dismissed Gucci's claim that Guess has infringed on its monogram and aesthetic. Claims Marciano of Guess, "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." Lawsuits are still pending against Guess by Gucci in France and China. Gucci plans to appeal this decision.
Gucci and Guess finally went to court today to settle their dispute over Guess' alleged infringement on Gucci's signature G monogram, red and green stripes, and diamond motif (yep, that's Gucci's print you're seeing in the photo. Cookies for you!). Gucci claims that the "midmarket"-brand Guess (ouch!) has made over $200 million by knocking of Gucci's logos with the "clear intent" to persuade people to "think it's Gucci."
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However, the Guess team points to their own use of plastic, ostentatious branding, and the cheapness of the product. Said Guess' attorney Daniel Petrocelli, "Guess doesn’t slap a house name on a product, Guess screams its name, it surrounds you," he said, adding later, "Gucci uses leather, Guess uses plastic, that’s why it costs 100 bucks. Gucci fabric, Gucci this, Gucci swatches. This is how they talk. That’s how they identify looks and feels and fabrics... This case is built on a house of cards. That you can create intent from whole clothing and run it back and collect $220 million."
The outcome of the intellectual property case could reveal plenty more about how design teams — both mass and luxury — create their product… But we think we've settled on the easy verdict. Let's just all recognize the logo is kinda cheesy, scrap it, and start over? Cookies for everyone! (WWD)
Photo: Via WWD