In a recent ruling, the CJEU held that a recent trademark that refers to an earlier year of the company’s founding—and thereby implies long-standing expertise—is likely to mislead the public. It thus upheld decisions by the Paris Court of Appeal declaring the trademarks “Fauré le Page Paris 1717” “void on grounds of deceptiveness.”
Luxury industry players were eagerly awaiting the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the case pitting the leather goods manufacturers Goyard and Fauré Le Page against each other.
Founded in Paris in 1853, Goyard contested Fauré Le Page’s right to use the date 1717 in its communications. While the company uses the name Fauré Le Page, the original arms manufacturer—founded in Paris in the early 18th century—ceased operations and was dissolved in 1992.
Fauré Le Page was relaunched in 2009 as a leather goods brand by Augustin Liffort de Buffévent, a former executive at Dior in the United States. However, while the original gunsmith also offered hunting-related leather goods (cases, shoulder straps, game bags, etc.), its product line did not include bags as fashion accessories.
A Significant Turning Point
Referred to the Court of Cassation, the CJEU was tasked with resolving the dispute. It recently issued a ruling on March 26, highlighting the misleading nature of such a claim. This decision “reignites the issues surrounding historical heritage in the luxury sector,” according to the law firm August Debouzy, which sees it as “a particularly significant turning point in the luxury world where an image of prestige is decisive.”
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Read more > Court: Goyard Battles Fauré Le Page for the Title of France’s Oldest Leather Goods Maker
Featured Photo: © Goyard
