Athleta sues Danish company over ‘Athlecia’ activewear brand

Reuters by using Kirby Lee-United states of america Right now Athletics

(Reuters) – A Danish company’s “Athlecia” brand name of women’s sportswear violates the trademark legal rights of Gap Inc’s Athleta, in accordance to a lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal courtroom.

Athlecia’s equivalent title and symbol are probably to trigger client confusion with Athleta’s women’s activewear, the firm reported in its lawsuit submitted Wednesday from Sports activities Group Denmark A/S.

Athleta and its attorneys did not right away respond to a request for comment. Sporting activities Group Denmark also could not instantly be arrived at.

Athletics Team Denmark will make a number of Danish sportswear manufacturers and distributes other brand names which include Mizuno and Babolat in Scandinavia. A single of the group’s brand names is Athlecia, which it calls a “mix of female sportswear and everyday garments.”

Athlecia utilizes a confusingly related name composed in a comparable font on the exact same style of merchandise as Athleta, the lawsuit mentioned. Athleta, a well known athleisure and yoga apparel brand acquired in 2008 by San Francisco-primarily based Gap Inc, also explained Athlecia’s round emblem resembles its “pinwheel” design and provides to the possible for confusion.

The lawsuit stated Sports activities Team Denmark began offering Athlecia products in 2020, while Athleta has been using its name and logo on women’s athletic apparel due to the fact 1998.

Athleta reported its agents ended up equipped to buy Athlecia products and solutions in California even however the brand name is centered in Denmark. Sports Team Denmark has also applied for an “Athlecia” trademark in the United States, in accordance to the lawsuit, and “intends to start offering its products … instantly to buyers within just the United States.”

The complaint asked the court docket to block Athlecia from employing the allegedly baffling name and asked for an unspecified amount of money of revenue damages.

The situation is Athleta Inc v. Sporting activities Team Denmark A/S, U.S. District Court docket for the Northern District of California, No. 3:22-cv-03192.

For Athleta: James Weinberger of Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, Mark Conrad of Conrad Metlitzky Kane

For Athletics Group Denmark: Not accessible

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