Tiffany Confident in Trademark Litigation Against Costco
August 17 2020 - 12:26PM
Business Wire
Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) today responded to the Second
Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling reversing summary judgment in
Tiffany’s ongoing trademark infringement and counterfeiting lawsuit
against Costco Wholesale Corporation. The Court’s reversal
reflected its belief that the District Court should have allowed
the question of liability for infringement and counterfeiting to be
presented to a jury in the first instance, rather than decided by
the District Court judge.
“We are disappointed in the Court’s ruling, which finds that a
jury, rather than the judge, should have decided the question of
liability in the first trial. We continue to believe that the
District Court was correct in its findings, and that the jury’s
finding on damages, which resulted in a $21 million award for
Tiffany & Co., is a clear indicator of the strength of the
Tiffany brand, and of the jury’s outrage over Costco’s actions,”
said Leigh Harlan, Tiffany & Co. Senior Vice President,
Secretary and General Counsel. “We have no qualms about trying this
case again, and remain confident that a jury will find
counterfeiting and infringement upon retrial, just as the District
Court judge originally ruled.”
Tiffany first filed suit against Costco in February 2013 for
trademark infringement and counterfeiting, among other claims, to
prevent Costco’s use of “Tiffany” on signs in jewelry cases at
Costco to describe engagement rings that were not made by Tiffany.
On September 8, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of New York granted Tiffany’s motion of summary judgment
of liability, after which a civil jury awarded Tiffany both damages
and punitive damages. While the Second Circuit Court of Appeals
today reversed the District Court’s grant of summary judgment on
the ground that the question of liability should have been
presented to a jury, Tiffany intends to continue to aggressively
litigate the claims on remand.
Tiffany maintains an aggressive and rigorous intellectual
property program, and regularly takes actions against
counterfeiters and infringers.
About Tiffany & Co.
In 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany founded his company in New York
City where his store was soon acclaimed as the palace of jewels for
its exceptional gemstones. Since then, TIFFANY & CO. has become
synonymous with elegance, innovative design, fine craftsmanship and
creative excellence. During the 20th century its fame thrived
worldwide with store network expansion and continuous cultural
relevance, as exemplified by Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s
and the film starring Audrey Hepburn.
Today, with a workforce of more than 14,000 employees, TIFFANY
& CO. and its subsidiaries design, manufacture and market
jewelry, watches and luxury accessories – including nearly 5,000
skilled artisans who cut diamonds and craft jewelry in the
Company’s workshops, realizing its commitment to superlative
quality. TIFFANY & CO. has a long-standing commitment to
conducting its business responsibly, sustaining the natural
environment, prioritizing diversity and inclusion, and positively
impacting the communities in which we operate.
The Company operates more than 300 TIFFANY & CO. retail
stores worldwide as part of its omni-channel approach. To learn
more about TIFFANY & CO. as well as its commitment to
sustainability, please visit tiffany.com.
FOR FURTHER INQUIRIES, PLEASE VISIT
PRESS.TIFFANY.COM
TIFFANY, T&CO., TIFFANY & CO., THE
COLOR AND WORD MARK TIFFANY BLUE, AND THE DESIGN AND WORD MARK
TIFFANY BLUE BOX ARE TRADEMARKS OF TIFFANY AND COMPANY AND ITS
AFFILIATES. ©2020 TIFFANY AND COMPANY.
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Tiffany & Co. Nathan Strauss
NATHAN.STRAUSS@TIFFANY.COM
Tiffany (NYSE:TIF)
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