Noticed on the KTVT last night that Coach, the maker of luxury handbags and not Craig T. Nelson, has sued Best of Dallas winner Sam Moon in Dallas federal court. You can see where this is headed: trademark infringement, copyright infringement and false advertising allegations, for starters. And though the suit doesn't mention how much Jacksonville, Florida-based Coach wants from Harry Hines Boulevard-based Sam Moon, it has hired Fish & Richardson to file the suit -- and the firm specializes in intellectual property cases.
Says the suit -- a rather nicely illustrated history of Coach's designs, patents and logos that follows after the jump -- from March 10 through 13 of this year, its investigators walked into Sam Moon and walked out with bags bearing Coach's logos and designs for pennies on the dollar. Per the suit, it spent no more than $20 on bags that looked like ones that run a couple hundy in proper retail outlets.
Alleges the suit, "Defendants have been engaging in the above-described illegal
counterfeiting and infringing activities knowingly and intentionally or with reckless
disregard or willful blindness to Coach's rights, or with bad faith, for the purpose of
trading on the goodwill and reputation of the Coach Marks and Coach products." To which Sam Moon responds in a statement: "We are confident that we do not sell any merchandise that infringes on Coach's trademark." Because, look, Sam Moon clearly peddles knock-offs -- has for decades. Ask any drag queen. Or my mom.