Levi’s accuses Brunello Cuccinelli of plagiarizing its iconic tabs, a trademark registered back in 1936. The American denim giant filed in San Francisco a suit against the Italian brand, renowned for its slow luxury approach.
Cucinelli usually offers cashmere and other fine fabrics knitwear, but recently launched also a jeans collection. These are characterized by a small rectangular fabric label on the back pocket. Its shape, size and position are actually the same as Levi’s.
Still, the Levi’s ones always include the brand’s name or logo. Cuccinelli’s labels, instead, are clean. Its function would be purely decorative, according to the Italian entrepreneur.
On the contrary, Levi’s accuses Brunello Cuccinelli of marketing products highly similar in design to its owns. This, according to the American giant, could be confusing for the customers. It would be an attempt at plagiarism and unfair competition.
Now, it will be up to the relevant authorities to decide whether Levi’s accusation is justified. However, the question arises as to whether there can really be competition between the two brands. Traditionally, the American brand has been operating in the mass-market denim field. Cuccinelli’s products, instead, range in price from hundreds to thousands of euros. Their targets seem to be quite different.
