Burberry Successful in its Action Against Marco Leather

Burberry Successful in its Action Against Marco Leather

July 20, 2006

    LONDON, July 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Burberry
announces a successful outcome in an action brought against
Marco Leather for infringing its trade mark rights. 

    In the US case, Burberry said that Marco Leather had
imported and sold over 100,000 counterfeit handbags,
wallets and goods bearing the iconic Burberry check and
Burberry Prorsum equestrian knight.  Marco Leather also
registered a copyright consisting of a variation of the
equestrian knight superimposed over the Burberry check, and
was attempting to register the equestrian knight as a
trademark with the United States Patent & Trademark
Office. 

    Marco Leather submitted to a Court Order that it do the
following:

     -- Abandon the trademark application for the
equestrian knight logo 

     -- Assign the copyright registration for the check
& equestrian knight 
        to Burberry 

     -- Abandon all rights and appeals related to goods
seized by U.S. 
        Customs and any other law enforcement agencies 

     -- Payment to Burberry of $100,000 in damages 

     -- Cease use of the equestrian knight and the check,
and all marks 
        "confusingly similar" 

    Marco Leather nonetheless refused to admit any
liability. 

    Stuart Lockyear, Burberry's Director of Intellectual
Property said: "This ruling marks an important
milestone for Burberry and for the luxury goods industry. 
Burberry will not tolerate counterfeiting or abuse of its
trade marks and will always push for the maximum
penalty." 

    Burberry, which is headquartered in London and listed
on the London Stock Exchange, was founded in 1856. 

    For more information, please contact:

     Robert Gardener / Alex Tweed 
     Tel: [phone] 

SOURCE  Burberry