Inquirer file photo
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� A long-running dispute between two clothing brands with logos that each depict a crocodile has ended in favor of Crocodile International Pte. Ltd. of Singapore over Lacoste S.A. of France.
The two companies have locked horns in legal battles around the world over Lacoste鈥檚 claim that its rival鈥檚 brand design resembled its own too closely.
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But the Supreme Court ruled that there was no confusing similarity between the two trademarks, affirming an earlier decision by the Court of Appeals (CA).
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Distinguishable
In a 16-page ruling on GR No. 223270, the Supreme Court鈥檚 Third Division rejected Lacoste鈥檚 petition seeking to overturn a 2015 CA decision that upheld an earlier ruling of the Intellectual Property Office in Crocodile鈥檚 favor.
鈥淭he Court holds that there are pronounced differences between Lacoste鈥檚 and Crocodile鈥檚 marks, [which make] them distinguishable from one another,鈥� the high tribunal said in the decision dated Nov. 6, 2023, but made public on Sept. 10.
The ruling was penned by Associate Justice Antonio Kho.
In December 1996, Crocodile filed a trademark application for the mark 鈥渃rocodile and device,鈥� but it wasn鈥檛 until 2004 that Lacoste opposed it.
The French brand argued it would be 鈥済reatly damaged鈥� as the Singaporean brand鈥檚 design was 鈥渃onfusingly similar or identical鈥� to its mark.
But the high court said Lacoste failed to prove this.
鈥淎s a matter of fact鈥� Crocodile even facilitated the registration of Lacoste鈥檚 mark in different jurisdictions by giving consent to Lacoste鈥檚 entry in countries where Crocodile first registered its mark,鈥� it said.