Tiffany's & Co. (NYSE: TIF) has filed a NIS 250,000 lawsuit with the Tel Aviv District Court against Optica Halperin Ltd. for copyright infringement. Tiffany's accuses Optica Halperin and its managers, Yaakov and David Halperin, of importing, marketing, and advertising sunglasses prominently bearing the Tiffany's trademark, even though the company did not make them.
Tiffany's also claims that Optica Halperin is offering these sunglasses for between NIS 1,800 and NIS 4,500 each, which Tiffany's claims is a price that is liable to create the impression that the product is a luxury item made by the company.
Tiffany's adds that Optica Halperin is using a wide range of advertising material bearing the Tiffany's trademark. For example, mirrors in Optica Halperin stores have the names of brands stamped on them, including Tiffany's. Optica Halperin also uses letterheads that include companies' trademarks, including Tiffany's, as if the optical chain is their exclusive importer. Optica Halperin's website presents Tiffany's as one of its "house brands".
Tiffany claims that the Israeli media has published a number of public relations items from Optica Halperin, which claim that the chain is a distributor of original Tiffany's products.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 7, 2008
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