Coach, the luxury handbag and accessories company, today filed suit in a Los Angeles court against Gap, for selling t-shirts with the term ‘Coach’ emblazoned on them, via its Old Navy division.

Coach alleges that the sale of the t-shirts was likely to confuse customers into believing Coach was connected to them. According to the suit, this had caused “irreparable harm” because Coach trademarks symbolize “a unique blend of fashion, craftsmanship, style, and function” reflected in its sale of “luxury lifestyle items,” not t-shirts.

Coach is seeking unspecified damages for trademark infringement, counterfeiting and violations of a California unfair competition law. It has also requested that Gap destroy all unsold inventory of the infringing T-shirts.

It’s not the first time that Gap has been accused of IP law infringement. Back in 2022 the company found itself on the wrong side of a trademark and tradedress lawsuit filed by Patagonia. The outdoor apparel retailer accused Gap of promoting and selling fleece jackets mimicking all elements of its ‘Snap-T’ trade dress without authorisation. It also claimed that Gap had willfully and deliberately copied Patagonia’s original designs and logo, causing irreparable damage and injury to the the Patagonia brand. The brands reportedly reached a settlement in June 2023.