Levi's wins suit against RP firm

Levi's wins suit against RP firm

MANILA : Levi Strauss and Co. on Friday won a copyright infringement suit against an apparel company in the Philippines accused of copying the US jeans maker's pocket design, the Supreme Court announced.

The court ordered CVS Garment and Industrial Co., maker of Europress jeans, to desist from marketing the disputed products and to pay Levi Strauss 85,000 pesos (US$1,667 dollars) in damages.

The high court's ruling said it found "no reason to disturb the findings" of lower courts "that Europress' use of the arcuate design was an infringement of the Levi's design."

The Levi's website says the arcuate design, or double row of stitching on the back pockets, was first used in 1873 and is the oldest apparel trademark still in use.

Levi Strauss had alleged that Filipinos mistook Europress jeans as Levi's jeans, the court said.

The US company said it owned the Philippine trademark to the design, which it registered at the patents office here in 1973. --AFP