Doc Martens Sues “Dirty Laundry” Over Trade Dress

Though a certain level of imitation seems to be tolerated in the industry, fashion designers have increasingly turned to trade dress law for IP protection, writes Arent Fox attorneys Anthony V. Lupo and Luna M. Samman. They consider a recent case in point: AirWair International Ltd., maker of the boots known to most who buy them as Doc Martens, has sued  an international fashion company that sells a boot under the brand Dirty Laundry, over the alleged infringement of a suite of design elements that include “yellow stitching in the welt area of the sole.”