Lanham Act Interpreted Regarding Likelihood of Confusion Between Designer Handbags

Louis Vuitton has used many federally registered trademarks for its products since 1896.  The company sued a retailer alleging trademark infringement due to likely confusion in the marketplace due to the similarity of the retailer's handbags to the Multicolore trademark used by Vuitton.  After its motion for a preliminary injunction was denied, Vuitton appealed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed the lower court decision, observing that a court should not focus on the subtle differences in the products when viewed side by side, but rather, for Lanham Act purposes, it should consider how a consumer could be misled in real market conditions. The case was remanded for further proceedings concerning Vuitton's preliminary injunction motion.