Patagonia Settles Trademark Infringement Lawsuit With GAP

After suing the fast fashion brand last year for copying its Snap-T Pullover.

PATAGONIA Sues GAP inc flap snap pocket design fleece rectangular piping mountain range side by side comparison info news

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UPDATE: Patagonia Inc. has officially settled its trademark infringement lawsuit with GAP (NYSE:GPS +7.67%) Inc. While no details were made public, the judge agreed to dismiss the case after both sides agreed to drop the claims. Patagonia initially sued GAP in November last year for copying its signature Snap-T Pullover, pointing to blatant similarities between GAPโ€™s design and Patagoniaโ€™s signature snapped flap pocket design and โ€œP-6โ€ mountain logo.

โ€œThe GAP infringements have caused or are likely to cause dilution of Patagoniaโ€™s famous and distinctive mark by diminishing its distinctiveness and singular association with Patagonia,โ€ the company said. โ€œGiven how derivative the GAP Infringements are of Patagoniaโ€™s designs and logo, there is no question that GAPโ€™s copying has been willful and deliberate.โ€

In addition to the potential of customers mistaking the GAP offerings for a Patagonia product, the brand pointed to the fact that even if customers did zoom into the branding details, there is a high likelihood of them mistaking โ€œthis to be one of GAPโ€™s many collaborations.โ€

Patagoniaโ€™s case against GAP follows similar lawsuits filed by the company against Walmart and lifestyle brand Robin Ruth USA over its โ€œP-6โ€ Trout Logo.


Following its fallout with Ye, GAP now lands itself in legal trouble with outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia which recently filed a lawsuit accusing the American clothing brand of copying its signature Snap-T pocket design found on its fleece sweaters for over three decades.

According to Reuters, Patagonia filed a complaint in San Francisco federal court on Tuesday night, citing Gapโ€™s recent sale of fleece jackets that illegally copy both its buttoned flap pocket design and the rectangular โ€œP-6โ€ logo which depicts a mountain range. The โ€œadoption of designs and logos bearing even more similarity cannot have occurred by accident,โ€ writes Patagonia. Part of the lawsuit references a one-star review of Gapโ€™s product which writes, โ€œObvious Pata*gonia ripoff. I had to zoom in just to ensure that the logo was GAP.โ€

As a popular mainstay of the brandโ€™s product lineup, Patagoniaโ€™s Snap-T pullover has previously been displayed at exhibitions in New Yorkโ€™s Museum of Modern Art and Londonโ€™s Victoria & Albert Museum. Take a look at a side-by-side comparison of the GAP and Patagonia jackets below.

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