Levi's Sues Evisu Over 'Private Stock' Jeans Collection

by Bee-Shyuan Chang (Subscribe to Bee-Shyuan Chang's posts)
Posted Apr 1st 2010 at 6:53PM

Levi's will get legal to protect its name. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

They say the perfect worn-in denim is a bit dirty, but Levi's was probably thinking more about underhanded tactics than hygiene when it hit fellow jeans brand Evisu with a lawsuit.

The iconic denim company filed a trademark infringement suit in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco two weeks after Evisu announced plans to launch a Private Stock collection, reports WWD.

But rather than come up with, say, a few new styles, Evisu was intent on paying tribute to the Levi's of old -- namely, the 1944 501 jeans, 1890 Nevada design, and 1917 Campbell style.

At the time of the collection's announcement, Evisu's CEO Scott Morrison claimed the brand was "merely taking inspiration from our past and paying homage to one of the oldest, or historically relevant, jeans in existence, which in this case happens to have been an amazing pair of Levi's," reports the fashion news site.

"We're not remaking a Levi's jean, nor are we claiming that this is a Levi's jean," Morrison added.

Levi's isn't buying Morrison's excuse.

Apparently, this legal clash of the denim titans is part deux of a long-standing affair. Levi's previously sued Evisu in 1999 over pocket designs that were allegedly too similar to Levi's own trademark and also over some earlier styles that used the name "Evis."

According to the defendant's bio on Evisu's Web site, founder Hidehiko Yamane originally called his jeans Evis after the Buddhist god of prosperity. Even so, Levi's came home with an injunction against Evisu in that suit. Now, the San Francisco-based company is alleging that Evisu has breached the 1999 injunction.

Levi's lawyers point out that images of Private Stock jeans were posted on the defendant's Web site (they weren't in the online shopping section when StyleList checked today, but unidentified pairs could have been featured in the artsy 2010 preview photos), and that the press release announcing the collection contained the name Evis, reports WWD.

A quirk in this whole court ordeal is that the injunction's terms don't apply to Evisu in Japan, where the brand currently offers jeans with red tabs on the pocket.

Speaking of dirty denim, the cutthroat jeans industry has inspired a documentary.

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Filed under: Fashion, News, Denim, Designers & Brands
Tags: court, Evisu, Fashion Lawsuits, Injunction, Jeans, lawsuit, Lawsuits, Levis, Private Stock Collection, trademark infringement

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READER COMMENTS

(6)Add A Comment

Dave, 4-03-2010, 4:07PM

I'm 47 years old. I grew up wearing Levi's. I still buy Levi's, but anyone of my generation can tell you, it's not the same jean as it used to be. In just the last year I've bought two pairs of Evisu jeans (with red tags) and they are much more like the Levi's of old than the present day Levi's. If Levi is so worried about people liking and buying jeans similar to the Levi's of old - why don't they just make 'em like that again? Why did they ever stop? Yes, of course I know why - profit margins and shareholders. Same old story again and again. But what are they learning from Evisu?

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Jim, 4-03-2010, 6:40PM

Levi's are the best jeans ever made, everybody else is just cheap imitations. I'm a 48 year old man and I've been wearing Levi's my whole life. They look good on me (I wear them around my waist not my thighs which looks stupid) and they last longer than any other jeans.In high school my nickname was "The Levi Kid'. Back then Levi's made everything but underwear and I wore it all, including shoes, wallets, and keychains. I've been a factory rat almost my entire adult life and I wear Levi's at work because they are tough enough to stand up to hard work. The other day at work two girls came up to me and told me I should be a Levi model because I looked so good from behind.

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bubba, 4-03-2010, 5:36PM

back in the olden days levi was top quality i have pairs of old levis that are 10 years old but i bought a couple pair recently and they ripped out i stick to carhart now there more durable

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mark, 4-03-2010, 5:57PM

levi's are made in mexico and in another country. They are about half as thick as they used to be. I can remember buying them 30 years ago they would last a very long time. My guess is the good ones were made in the usa. now they are cheep.

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DJ, 4-03-2010, 5:56PM

I love my Levis. All I wear is jeans and Levis are the only brand I buy. But I have to say that since Levis moved their production from the U.S. to Mexico and China the quality sucks, plain truth. They dont wear the same as vintage U.S. made jeans and the fit is nowhere near as comfortable. I dont bother buying new Levis anymore... Now I thrift hunt and stalk vintage clothing stores for them. Why pay upwards of thirty bucks for clothing I dont like when I can get perfectly good jeans for less than half the cost of new? On average I pay about $6.99 for a great pair of Levis that have the quality I'm used to. Sorry Levis but your products are very low quality since you left the U.S..

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Shiny, 4-30-2010, 2:19PM

Hi, I really love Levis Jeans. I am also waiting for the new collection from levis, its High-End Hipster. Lovely to wear..Amazed to see your posts on levis. Great work..

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