Burberry Sues JCPenney Over Coats In Familiar-Looking Plaid

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Do you recognize Burberry’s distinctive plaid on sight? The British company assumes that most clothing shoppers do, and has filed a lawsuit against JCPenney for using a similar plaid in scarves and coats that it has sold recently.

The most notable difference, of course, is that the classic Burberry scarf costs $475, and the JCPenney version that’s actually a wool peacoat that comes with a free scarf is on sale for $100 now. That exact item is no longer available for sale, but here’s a catalog photo preserving it:

To review, what does a similar-looking scarf in the trademarked plaid pattern look like?

Hmm. There is a resemblance, and Burberry is vigilant against other companies that try to imitate its plaid. The company also sued over quilted coats using a similar pattern on the coat itself.

“Even though defendants’ infringing products are of inferior quality, they appear superficially similar to genuine Burberry products,” the British scarfery’s initial complaint says, according to Reuters, with snootiness dripping off the page.

The company seeks damages, but they appear to mostly want JCPenney to stop selling items in the alleged knockoff print.

Burberry sues J.C. Penney for selling knockoff jackets, scarves [Reuters]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist