Louis Vuitton Malletier SA says it has reached an “amicable” settlement agreement with Honda Canada and its advertising agency, Toronto’s Grip Limited, regarding a trademark infringement lawsuit filed in federal court last October.
While settlement details were not disclosed, Louis Vuitton said it received a payment from Grip.
The lawsuit stemmed from a print and TV campaign for the Honda CrossTour vehicle that appeared in late 2009/early 2010. The ads featured luggage bearing images that Louis Vuitton claimed infringed on its iconic Toile Monogram and Damier marks.
“While the connotation of luxury evoked by Louis Vuitton products is unmistakable, that recognition stems from our heritage of quality and craftsmanship and decades of investment in our products,” said Ed Pradon, senior vice-president of Louis Vuitton, in a statement. “The right to use our products and our marks – in advertising campaigns and all other forms of communication – belongs to Louis Vuitton alone.”
The company never licenses its marks or grants other parties permission to use them to promote their own products, he added. “We take the protection of our trademarks very seriously and will defend them against unauthorized use wherever it may occur.”
Louis Vuitton is a unit of the world leading luxury group LVMH, which also counts Moet & Chandon champagne, Dior and Tag Heuer among its brands.
Louis Vuitton declined interview requests, while Grip Limited president Harvey Carroll had not responded to interview requests before press time.
