What brands can learn from Chanel’s logo defeat

The ruling against the French fashion label in its trademark dispute with Huawei shows that risks to brands can come from further afield than they may expect, says Robert Reading of Clarivate.

Trademark filing activity worldwide has enjoyed a steady rise in the last few years, growing 13% last year, based on data from SAEGIS, the global trademark database from Clarivate.

It is hardly surprising that increased filing activity has been accompanied by a growing number of infringement cases and similarity disputes. In a recent Trademark Ecosystems report, 89% of respondents reported trademark infringement last year, a new record high. Safeguarding valuable brands across all channels, whether it is against infringement or similarity, is paramount to brand owners, for reputational and commercial reasons.

The April ruling on the Chanel trademark dispute placed brand similarity disputes under the spotlight. Such cases generally do not create ripples beyond their sector-specific audiences. However, the companies at the centre of the dispute—French luxury house Chanel and telecoms and mobile phone manufacturer Huawei—are both high-profile and well-known brands.