Lacoste Loses Trademark Dispute with Crocodile in the Philippines

Posted on September 16, 2024 by JFP

After two decades of legal battles, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled in favor of Singapore-based Crocodile International, rejecting Lacoste’s claim that the Crocodile logo was too similar to its iconic right-facing crocodile emblem. Lacoste, a French fashion brand, had argued since 2004 that the similarities between the two logos, particularly the crocodile figure, would confuse consumers and harm its brand reputation. However, the court concluded that the logos were visually distinct enough to coexist without confusion, ending a prolonged dispute that highlighted trademark challenges in international markets.

The court’s decision emphasized key differences between the logos, including the fact that Crocodile International’s design features a left-facing crocodile and the word “Crocodile” in a stylized font, while Lacoste’s logo is simply a right-facing crocodile with no accompanying text. The ruling also cited the peaceful coexistence of both brands in several other countries, such as Japan, China, and South Korea, which further undermined Lacoste’s claims of potential confusion or trademark dilution. Additionally, the court noted the absence of any evidence showing that Crocodile had acted in bad faith or aimed to mislead consumers.

The Supreme Court’s decision marked the final chapter of a dispute that had passed through several lower courts, including the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and the Court of Appeals. Both institutions had previously ruled in favor of Crocodile International, finding that the differences in design and branding strategies were sufficient to prevent consumer confusion. The ruling also underscored the court’s commitment to maintaining fair competition, stating that absent any fraud or misrepresentation, businesses like Crocodile should be allowed to enter the Philippine market freely.

As a result, Crocodile International can continue to use and register its logo in the Philippines, bringing an end to one of the fashion industry’s most notable trademark disputes. Both brands’ crocodiles will now coexist in the country, symbolizing the fine line between brand protection and market competition in global fashion.

Lacoste Wins Trademark Dispute With Chinese Crocodile International Brand in India

Posted on August 28, 2024 by JFP

In a significant legal victory, the Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Lacoste, barring the Hong Kong-based fashion brand Crocodile International from using a logo in India that closely resembled Lacoste’s iconic crocodile emblem. This decision concluded a 23-year-long legal battle, underscoring Lacoste’s commitment to protecting its brand identity in the Indian market. Despite a 1983 agreement between the two companies to coexist peacefully in various global markets, the court found that India was not covered under this arrangement, granting Lacoste exclusive rights to its trademark in the region.

The case highlights the complexities of international trademark disputes, especially between well-established brands with global recognition. Lacoste’s victory emphasizes the importance of consistent brand protection and the legal challenges that can arise when similar logos are used in overlapping markets. This ruling not only reinforces Lacoste’s presence in India but also serves as a reminder of the legal nuances involved in maintaining brand identity across different jurisdictions.

The site Lexology.com added the following details on the case:

In a recent high-profile trademark dispute, Lacoste emerged victorious against Crocodile International Pte Ltd., as the court ruled in favor of Lacoste’s exclusive rights to its iconic crocodile logo. The case revolved around the use of a crocodile device on clothing, with Lacoste accusing Crocodile International of infringing on their trademark and copyright.

Lacoste’s Case: Lacoste, known globally for its crocodile-branded clothing, claimed that Crocodile International’s similar logo caused confusion among consumers. Lacoste argued that they have held exclusive rights to the crocodile device since 1933, with trademarks registered in various countries, including India. They emphasized their long-standing use and investment in the brand in India since 1993, which they believed was being undermined by Crocodile International’s use of a similar symbol.

Crocodile International’s Defense: Crocodile International countered by asserting their independent creation of the “CROCODILE” brand in 1947 in Singapore. They argued that their use of the crocodile device was legitimate and had been internationally recognized for decades. Furthermore, they referenced a 1983 agreement between the two companies, which allowed for peaceful coexistence in certain territories, though Lacoste argued that this agreement did not apply to India.

Court’s Findings: The court sided with Lacoste on several key issues:

Territorial Jurisdiction: It was determined that the Indian courts had jurisdiction, given Lacoste’s significant presence and the alleged infringement occurring in India.
Ownership of Copyright: The court confirmed Lacoste’s ownership of the copyright for the crocodile device in India, dating back to its registration in 1999.
Trademark Infringement: The court ruled that Crocodile International’s use of a similar crocodile device constituted trademark infringement, as it created a risk of consumer confusion.
The 1983 Agreement: The court found that this agreement did not extend to India, and Crocodile International was not authorized to use the crocodile device in India without the accompanying “CROCODILE” wordmark.

Outcome: The court issued a permanent injunction, prohibiting Crocodile International from using their crocodile logo in India. Additionally, Crocodile International was ordered to provide access to their financial accounts to assess damages owed to Lacoste.

This ruling reinforces Lacoste’s stronghold over its iconic crocodile logo, particularly within the Indian market, and serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in global trademark disputes.

How To Detect Fake Ralph Lauren Polo Sneakers And Shoes

Posted on November 24, 2023 by JFP

Counterfeit products are an issue across various brands, and Ralph Lauren sneakers are no exception. Identifying fake Ralph Lauren sneakers involves a combination of visual inspections and comparisons to authentic products. Here are some key points to consider when trying to determine if a pair of Ralph Lauren sneakers is genuine:

Examine the Logo: Authentic Ralph Lauren products often feature a polo player riding a horse logo. On counterfeit items, the mallet held by the rider tends to be more circular than rectangular, the horse’s tail may be difficult to see, and the horse’s right back leg might appear bent.【1】
Molded Branding: Authentic Polo Ralph Lauren shoes usually have “Polo” molded onto the lower heel, surrounded by a rectangular shaped outline. Additionally, the inside sole of the shoe, particularly in the heel area, should display the “Ralph Lauren” logo. Significant deviations from these specifics are red flags for counterfeit products.【2】
SKU Number Consistency: All authentic sneakers come with an SKU number, which can be found on labels inside the shoes. This number should match the one on the box of the shoes. If there is a discrepancy between these numbers, it’s a strong indication that the sneakers might be fake.【3】
Stitching Quality: The stitching on authentic sneakers is usually precise and even. Counterfeit sneakers, on the other hand, often have less accurate and uneven stitching. This is because counterfeit manufacturers may cut corners to save costs, impacting the quality of stitching.【4】

By paying attention to these details, you can increase your chances of distinguishing authentic Ralph Lauren sneakers from counterfeit ones. It’s important to buy from reputable sources and to be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true, as they often are indicators of counterfeit products.

Deciphering The Information on a Genuine Lacoste Price Tag

Posted on December 11, 2020 by JFP

If you buy a legitimate Lacoste original polo shirt, it’s price tag should have a model number or code that is made up of four different parts.

For men’s shirts, the model number should begin with a code representing the design. For the original, cotton polo shirt, that design code should be one of the following:

L1212 – short sleeve pique
L1312 – long sleeve pique

For women’s original, cotton pol shirts, the model number should begin with one of these design codes:

PF168 or PF168E – short sleeve stretch pique
PF368E – classic long sleeve pique

For Lacoste items other than the original polo shirts, there are multiple other design codes, but they are all generally being with one or two letter combined with a number.

The next part of the model number is a two digit number representing where the shirt is manufactured. In the US, it is almost always 51, meaning the shirt was made in Peru. There are different numbers for India and Europe.

The third part of the model number is a three digit or three letter code representing the color. Some examples of colors are:

001 – white
031 – black
166 – navy
107 – yellow
240 – red
132 – green
476 – bordeaux
TO3 – flamingo
NSX – lawn green
TO1 – till blue
8LX – pearl
NXU – coastal blue
CBK – aegean blue

It’s important to realize, though, that there are numerous color and color combination codes, so this list is far from complete. For example, the DWW color code shown in the label above stands for black/white, white and graphite pattern on a color-block polo.

Lastly, there is a two digit code representing the size, as follows:

T3 – XS
T4 – S
T5 – M
T6 – L
T7 – XL
T8 – XXL

Thus, for example, a Men’s short sleeve, pique yellow, made in Peru, size small polo shirt label should read: L1212 51 107 T4

Some examples of tags are shown below.

Editors Note

I’ve updated this article for 2021, since it is so popular. For detailed information on how to detect counterfeit Lacoste, see my posts on detecting fake Lacoste polo shirts, detecting fake Lacoste bags, and detecting fake Lacoste sneakers. I also have a page with more general tips on detecting Lacoste knock-offs.

How To Identify Fake Lacoste Sneakers in 2024

Posted on November 25, 2020 by JFP

Updated: April 29, 2024

I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries recently about how to tell whether the Lacoste sneakers you’ve bought are fake, so I’ve decided to put together this post on how to identify counterfeit Lacoste shoes. It’s important to be careful, because high-quality Chinese counterfeits are readily available, as you can see from this article. So, here’s how to ensure that you are getting genuine Lacoste sneakers.

Where Did You Buy The Shoes?

Start with where you are buying the sneakers. If you bought the shoes from a street seller or on Alibaba, you can be almost certain that they are fake. Lacoste shoes are only sold at Lacoste’s own stores or at certified retailers. You can determine if a store is an approved seller by checking it out on Lacoste’s website. Buying from an authorized retailer, is the number one way to ensure you have Genuine Lacoste footwear.

Check The Logos

Most fakes have cheaply made crocodile logos with badly defined body parts. The crocodile should be a deep, dark green with obvious individual teeth and claws. The top jaw is smaller than bottom and is angled slightly upwards. The tail will be rounded and be pointing in the same direction as the jaw rather than at the crocodile. You can see an example of a genuine logo below.

Unfortunately, Lacoste has been confusing the issue recently by using multiple versions of the logo in different materials on shoes. This is particularly true of collaborations like the recent one with Concept. So, if your item’s logo doesn’t look like the classic one pictured above, you should check it against some of the newer versions shown on my Lacoste Crocodile Logo page. While the colors differ, the quality of the logo and its coloring are still good indicators of the sneaker being genuine.

There are other logos and Lacoste branding that you should check also. Look at the Lacoste Logo from the back of a genuine sneaker shown below.

Notice the quality of the stitching on the logo. That’s brings me to the next thing you need to check.

Is The Quality Of The Construction And Materials High?

Lacoste shoes can be made of canvas, PVC or leather, but they all share one thing in common: their construction and materials are of high quality. A common fault of fake sneakers is inferior stitching. Genuine Lacoste sneakers have small, even, solid stitching as shown in the example below.

Uneven stitching or loose threads is an indication of a counterfeit shoe. A good place to check the stitching is inside the shoe, since the manufacturers of fakes often skimp on the non-visible stitching. If you see uneven stitching around the inside of the shoe, or bunching of the lining, you can be pretty sure you have counterfeit sneakers.

What Does The Label Look Like?

A Genuine Lacoste shoe will have a label on the tongue like the one shown below:

The label should have both European and US sizes. It will also have a high quality, printed logo with sharp defined edges.

Packaging

Genuine Lacoste sneakers generally come in a heavy cardboard, green box stamped on top and side with a high-quality Lacoste Logo in white. See the image below for an example, and note the quality of the printing of both the Lacoste name and the crocodile.

Every Lacoste shoe I have bought came in a green box. However, I’ve also seen boxes on the internet that are white, so you may get a box like the one below:

Inside the box, the shoes will be wrapped in high-quality, tissue paper with the Lacoste Crocodile Logo imprinted as shown below.

If you don’t get the Lacoste box, then the shoes are almost certainly fake. Be aware, though, that empty Lacoste boxes are readily available on Ebay, Alibaba and other sites, so this is not a definitive sign of quality. However, the vast majority of the boxes sold don’t include the tissue paper.

Other Resources

If you are interested in authenticating other Lacoste fashion items, check out my article on detecting fake Lacoste bags or my article on detecting fake Lacoste polo shirts. I’ve also written a detailed article on detecting counterfeit Lacoste items if these instructions are not good enough.