Fashion Law Network

This episode is all about the Balenciaga fashion house. I begin with a brief history of the fashion house, followed by a discussion of patent and trademark law in relation to Balenciaga and finally, I provide my legal analysis of two recent, interesting intellectual property-based lawsuits that the fashion house has been involved with. The first lawsuit I analyze is City Merchandise Inc., v. Balenciaga where a New York City souvenir company sued Balenciaga for copyright infringement for the design on their tote bags and the second lawsuit I discuss is CarFreshner Corp., v. Balenciaga where a car freshener company sued Balenciaga for trademark infringement among a few other claims. Episode Notes:  1. City Merchandise Inc., v. Balenciaga,1:18-cv-06748 (SDNY) 2. CarFreshner Corp., v. Balenciaga, 1:18-cv-09629 (SDNY)

This episode is all about the world of beauty pageants with a legal spin. This episode features a very special guest, Caitlin Machol, a former Miss USA contestant and Miss Wisconsin titleholder. I begin the episode by providing some background information on the famous, Miss USA, Miss Universe and Miss America pageants, then I discuss and analyze a few lawsuits the organizations have been involved with. Finally, Caitlin provides lots of inside beauty pageant information such as the various fashion rules the contestants must adhere to, her story in competing in the Miss USA pageant, meeting Donald Trump and much more! Thank you for listening and enjoy! Episode Notes: 1. Miss Universe, LLP v. Miss Nude Southern USA 2. Miss Universe, LLP v. Diamonds International Corp. 3. Book: There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America by Amy Argetsinger 4. Book: Being Miss America: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain by Kate Shindle

This episode is all about the luxury multi-designer retail store, Intermix and their recent store closings. I begin the episode with a brief history of the Intermix company which begins in 1993, then I discuss the change in owners of the Intermix company including the acquisition by a private equity firm and a discussion of private equity firms and takeover implications. At the end of the episode, I provide my legal analysis and discussion of a recent lawsuit filed against the Intermix company. Enjoy and thank you for listening! Episode Notes: 1. Bal Harbour Shops, LLC v. Intermix Holdco, Inc. 2. Private Equity Article : Record numbers of UK firms are being swallowed by private equity – should we be worried? (theconversation.com)

This episode is all about trademark parodies in the context of fashion law. I begin this episode with a brief background of trademark law and the parody defense, next I discuss a few intellectual property parody lawsuits involving Louis Vuitton (Louis Vuitton v. Haute Diggity Dog , Louis Vuitton v. My Other Bag , Louis Vuitton v. MGA Entertainment ). I conclude the episode by providing my legal analysis of the recent trademark parody lawsuit which made it all the way to the Supreme Court involving Jack Daniel's and a dog toy company. Enjoy and thank you for listening! Episode Notes: 1. Louis Vuitton Malletier, S.A. v. Haute Diggity Dog, LLC, 507 F.3d 252  2. Louis Vuitton Malletier, S.A. v. My Other Bag, Inc., 1:2014-cv-03419 3. MGA Entertainment Inc. v. Louis Vuitton Malletier, S.A., 2:18-cv-10758  4. Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC, 22-148

The RealReal lit the fuse in the secondhand luxury market sector but is the fire dying down now? On this episode I discuss the current state of the secondhand luxury market including a brief background of  unique The RealReal business model and provide my legal analysis and discussion of an interesting securities lawsuit that The RealReal was recently embroiled with. Thank you listening, enjoy!  Episode Notes:  1. Sanders v. RealReal Inc., 5:19-cv-07737 (N.D. Cal.)

This episode is all about the recent mergers and acquisitions in the luxury fashion space, namely, the Farfetch company and their acquisition of the Yoox-Net-a-Porter Group (YNAP). On this episode, I discuss the history and brief biography of the owner and founder of the Farfetch company and their business model along with other notable, recent luxury fashion house acquisitions. Finally, I discuss and analyze a recent trademark infringement lawsuit which Farfetch was embroiled in.  Don't forget to sign up for the Fashion Law Network meet n' greet event on March 23, 2023! Enjoy and thank you for listening! Episode Notes: 1.  EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fashion-law-network-podcast-meetup-tickets-515122002777 Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/fashion-law-network/events/290921859/?isFirstPublish=true March 23rd @ 5:00-8:00PM 100 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1800 2. AirWair International Ltd. v. Yoox Net-A-Porter Group S.P.A. (3:18-cv-06051) District Court, N.D. California

This is a special episode featuring Mr. Andrei Iancu, the former director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We begin our discussion with a background and interesting details about the USPTO, the launch of the Council For Innovation Promotion and the value of patents. Then we discuss the recent controversial anti-patent remarks made by Elon Musk and the landmark Supreme Court case bearing my guest's name, Iancu v. Brunetti, which was decided during Mr. Iancu's time at the USPTO. Enjoy and thank you for listening!  Episode Notes:  1. Council for Innovation Promotion: www.C4IP.org 2. Iancu v. Brunetti, 139 S. Ct. 2294 (2019)  The Fashion Law Network podcast and statements made are for entertainment purposes only and are not legal advice. If you would like legal advice or a legal consultation you may contact me directly at [email protected]. 

This episode is all about the Dolce & Gabbana fashion house. I begin with a brief history of the brand and then discuss patent and trademark law in relation to Dolce & Gabbana. I end the episode with my legal analysis and discussion of a trademark infringement situation involving Dolce & Gabbana versus a store called Dolce & Banana! Enjoy and thank you for listening.  The Fashion Law Network podcast and statements made are for entertainment purposes only and are not legal advice. If you would like legal advice or a legal consultation you may contact me directly at [email protected]. 

How is luxury department store Neiman Marcus thriving when most department stores are struggling at unprecedented levels? I answer this question and much more on this episode. I also provide my legal analysis, discussion and update on the Neiman Marcus legal battle with (now closed) hedge fund Marble Ridge Capital. Episode Notes: 1. Marble Ridge Capital LP v. Neiman Marcus Group Inc., et al, DC-18-18371 (116TH Judicial Circuit (Dallas)) 2. Neiman Marcus Group Inc., v. Simon Property Group Inc.

This episode is all about the world of luxury fragrances with a focus on the famous Chanel No. 5 perfume. I begin with a brief history of the Chanel No. 5 perfume then discuss various forms of legal protection for fragrances and end the episode with a legal analysis of a recent lawsuit centering on the Chanel No. 5 perfume.  Episode Notes:  1. Chanel v. Love Story No. 9  2. Civil Judgment No. 319 [2021], Final, Civil, Shaanxi of the High People's Court of Shaanxi Province. The ruling is accessible here, in Chinese, retrieved from China Judgments Online