Louis Vuitton does not laugh at its bags’ parody

Abstract

This contribution discusses the case of Louis Vuitton Malletier, SA v My Other Bag, Inc (14-CV-3419 (JMF), 6 January 2016). The dispute involved the reference to and the use of famous marks by a third party. In a summary judgment the US District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed – based on the parody exception – an action for trade mark dilution and infringement as well as copyright infringement that Louis Vuitton (LV) had brought against My Other Bag (MOB). The comment reflects about the boundaries of a legitimate parody in the context of a brand’s reputation in the fashion domain.