So, after what seems like a trillion (read: three) long years, the verdict is in on the Gucci vs. Guess copy-cat trial, and Guess lost. Kind of.
A U.S. district judge ordered Guess and its shoe licensee Marc Fisher Footwear to shell out a cool $4.66 million (of the original $221 million) for trademark infringement, citing a loss on over $200 million worth of product.
But it doesn't end there. Guess head-honcho Paul Marciano sent out a press-release claiming it wasn't quite THAT serious, and that $200 million in damages was way off. He argued that Gucci never bothered to claim trademark rights Guess has been using to Gucci-ize their shit for decades. Loving the you-snooze-you-lose logic. He went on to say that Gucci is guilty of appropriating themselves - he also wants to know why they haven't responded to Roberto Cavalli's February statement in WWD saying that they essentially stole every look from his 2010 collection? Ohhhh shit!
This battle has been going on since March when French luxury conglomerate PPR got fed up with what they believe is a deliberate attempt on Guess's part to steal their look for cheap consumption by the tight-pursed masses. Apparently there's been a good deal of juicy courtroom drama, and even a few emotional testimonies. To have been a fly on the wall!
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