Louis Vuitton Wins Some, Loses Some
It's been an interesting week for Louis Vuitton lawsuits. The company received the results of two lawsuits and ended up winning one and losing one. Louis Vuitton claimed a Las Vegas company, Huate Diggity Dog, infringed on their trademark with its furry "Chewy Vuiton" dog toys, plush toys that resemble the handbag company's posh purses. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an earlier ruling that the toys represent a parody, one which is made clear by the fact that the company also makes produces such as the "Furcedes" and "Chewnel No. 5."Louis Vuitton did better with a lawsuit regarding a Britney Spears video that was found to be violating counterfeiting laws. The beleaguered popstar used a pink Vuitton-upholstered dashboard in a music video. A Paris civil court ordered Sony BMG and MTV to stop showing the video for "Do Something" and handed down a fine of $117,000 apiece. Spears herself was not found guilty but the ruling said that the video said that the use of the Vuitton fabric in the video constituted an attack on the brand and its luxury image.
