G-Star won the latest case in a series of disputes the brand has had with fast fashion company H&M. The Fashion Law reported that the Hague Court of Appeals ruled in favor of G-Star in defense of the brand’s Raw trademark.
G-Star filed suit against H&M when the retailer began selling t-shirts and sweatshirts with the slogan “Raw Beat Experience,” which G-Star claimed led customers to believe the item was a collaboration.
The Fashion Law reported that the brand strengthened their case by conducting a consumer survey that found that over 30 percent of participants thought of the G-Star brand when seeing the word “Raw.”
H&M responded to these allegations in another filing that argued that “Raw” lacked valid trademark protection. H&M claimed that the word can be used to define street culture or a certain music style.
The court ruled in favor of G-Star, saying that just because the word “Raw” has plain meanings, that does not mean it cannot serve as identification of the G-Star brand.
