Patagonia Sues Gap for Copying ‘Iconic’ Flap Pocket — Retail Bum

Patagonia wants Gap to get a pocket design of its own. The outdoor clothing brand has filed a lawsuit against Gap, accusing the retailer of illegally copying its snapped flap pocket that has been featured across its fleece outerwear for over 30 years.

In a complaint filed with the San Francisco Federal Court on Tuesday night, Patagonia stated that Gap was and is willfully and deliberately selling fleece jackets with its flap pocket and rectangular “P-6” logo. Patagonia also noted that the style is being used without permission and undermines goodwill as it is being done to confuse shoppers.

Furthermore, Patagonia noted that in previous years, the brand has attempted to get Gap to stop copying its products. As such, the “adoption of designs and logos bearing even more similarity cannot have occurred by accident.”

Patagonia reportedly debuted its Snap-T pullover fleece back in 1985 and then added its flap pocket just about four years later.

To solidify its notion, the outdoor retailer included a one-star review posted online by a Gap customer stating: “Obvious Pata*gonia ripoff. I had to zoom in just to ensure that the logo was GAP.”

Through the lawsuit, Patagonia is aiming to recoup lost profits and unspecified damages and prevent further infringements.

Originally published at https://retailbum.com on November 28, 2022.