Trademark infringement case update: Lucky Brands Dungarees v Marcel Fashion Group
A nearly 20-year dispute between two competitors in the apparel industry will be heard by the Supreme Court Monday January 13, 2020, on the legal issue of claim preclusion – highlighting the practical pitfalls of releasing trademark infringement claims in settlement agreement between parties that continue to use the marks at issue. The case is Lucky Brands Dungarees, Inc. v. Marcel Fashion Group, Inc., Case No. 18-1086.
The practical lessons to draw from this dispute are numerous:
- the importance of initially clearing marks and implementing a plan to handle potential third party objections
- strategic enforcement as to when, and against whom, to enforce trademark rights – and squarely on point with this nearly 20 year battle now before the Supreme Court
- careful drafting of what claims are released in the context of future use of the same or similar trademarks.