Levi Strauss sues Italian Brunello Cucinelli over registered invoice

Levi Strauss has sued Brunello Cucinelli, accusing the Italian luxury fashion brand of infringing its trademark rectangular pocket label.

In a complaint filed Tuesday night in federal court in San Francisco, Levi provided 14 photographs of Brunello Cucinelli clothing that contained “nearly identical” copies of its label, which the denim and other clothing retailer trademarked in 1938.

Levi said consumers will likely be confused and that it will likely lose sales and suffer “incalculable and irreparable damage” to its goodwill and reputation unless Brunello Cucinelli stops selling its infringing clothing.

The lawsuit seeks an end to sales of infringing products, unspecified damages, including lost profits, and other remedies. Levi said repeated attempts to resolve the dispute without litigation were unsuccessful.

Brunello Cucinelli had no immediate comment Wednesday.

Levi's brands also include Dockers and Beyond Yoga. The San Francisco-based company has filed several lawsuits in recent years to protect its accounts, including cases against Kering's Yves Saint Laurent and LVMH's Kenzo. Both lawsuits ended in settlements.