Go Jeans Sues Target
Los Angeles–based Vanounou Clothing Inc., maker of Go Jeans and Go Couture, has filed suit against the Target Corp. The suit, filed in August in U.S. District Court, accuses Target of a laundry list of transgressions, including trademark infringement, false representation, federal trademark dilution, state trademark dilution and unfair competition in connection with the big-box retailer’s popular Go International brand. The brand has garnered much public attention due to its collaboration with upscale and contemporary designers, including high-end darlings Proenza Schouler and Los Angeles–based brand Libertine.
According to the suit, Vanounou Clothing, which was launched 26 years ago by Zion Vanounou, holds the registration for the federal trademark for “Go” and “Go Jeans” for use in conjunction with the sale of its garments, which include men’s apparel, boys’ apparel, women’s intimates, swimwear, denim, contemporary sportswear, accessories and outerwear. While Vanounou’s registered trademark for “Go” and “Go Jeans” is approximately 1 year old, the company has been using the names since 1981, the lawsuit alleges, therefore establishing prior use of the names.
Target’s Go International brand competes with Vanounou’s Go brands, the lawsuit said, but at a lower price point and trades on the goodwill Go Jeans has built. Vanounou doesn’t cite specific damages, but claims it has lost sales and profits and is entitled to statutory damages and Target’s profits from its use of “Go” in its brand name.
Target has registered the “Go International” federal trademark. Vanounou is petitioning the Trademark Office to cancel the registration. An attempt to register “Go” with the Trademark Office was previously denied to Target because it interfered with Vanounou’s own trademark.
Target could not be reached for comment. The Minneapolis-based retailer has not yet filed a response to Vanounou’s suit, according to Vanounou’s attorney, Thomas Rozsa of the Rozsa Law Group in Tarzana, Calif. “We believe Target was aware of our Go trademark,” he said. —Erin Barajas
