Hanes Sues American Apparel
Hanesbrands Inc., a publicly traded underwear and hosiery company spun off from Sara Lee Corp. last year, has filed a trademark-infringement lawsuit against American Apparel Inc., a 10-year-old Los Angeles apparel maker.
The federal lawsuit, filed Sept. 4 in Winston-Salem, N.C., where Hanesbrands is based, accused American Apparel of copying Hanesbrands’ “Barely There” trademark.
Hanesbrands maintains that American Apparel uses the slogan in its print and online advertisements for women’s tight-fitting bodysuits.
In papers filed in U.S. District Court, the complaint said American Apparel’s Web site has images of scantily clad models in American Apparel’s “barely there” bodysuit.
Cynthia Semon, a spokesperson for American Apparel, said the company had no comment at the moment.
Hanesbrands spokesperson Matt Hull said his company had been contacted by American Apparel’s legal department about the lawsuit. “We have a dialogue going,” Hull said. “We believe we can work toward an amicable solution.”—Deborah Belgum
