Brighton Wins Trade Dress Suit
City of Industry–based accessories company Brighton Collectibles was awarded an $8 million judgment in its copyright and trade dress suit against catalog retailer Coldwater Creek. The judgment includes more than $6.7 million in compensatory damages as well as Brighton’s attorneys’ fees, which exceed $1.2 million, according to the accessories company. The dispute involved Brighton’s “Carolina Heart” copyright. In addition, the jury determined that Brighton accessories have a distinctive “Brighton look” and that Coldwater Creek had infringed on Brighton’s trade dress, as well. In a second suit, Brighton charges that Coldwater Creek continued selling the merchandise in question while the lawsuit was in process.
