Most Tuesdays I take the opportunity to rant about something I do not like about Target… because although I love ‘em to death, they ain’t perfect. Today’s rant is about the news that Target is being sued for copying designs from Coach, Inc. In a complaint filed last Thursday, Coach stated that it wants Target to stop selling the bags and pay an undetermined amount in damages, injunctive relief and attorney fees.
The bags in question resemble Coach's Ergo bags, launched in 2008 and marketed as ergonomically correct, and its Signature Patchwork bags (like the one shown here) which have patches in different fabrics and also were introduced in 2008.
Target began selling handbags this past summer with "exact and/or confusingly similar reproductions of Coach's Ergo designs and Signature Patchwork designs," Coach claims. However, a quick search of Target’s site doesn’t turn up any of the bags in question, so my assumption is that Target has already stopped selling them pending this lawsuit.
Ironically, Coach also sued Minneapolis-based Target back in 2006 for the very same reason, claiming the retailer was selling a copy of one of its handbags. The companies settled that previous case, but you’d think Target would have enough sense to avoid copying products from a company that already sued you once.
2 comments:
I have a bag that I know is a knock off of that patchwork bag. Don't know where the person got it, but it was passed along to me. I use it to carry a laptop.
I hope Coach is suing the other companies that copy their designs. I know I've seen knock-offs at other major retailers, too.
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