The lifestyle brand Googly Eye Cru has filed a trademark infringement complaint in New York federal court against Fast Retailing’s and Uniqlo’s U.S. divisions and Anya Hindmarch’s parent company.
GEC alleges that its “Googly Eye motif” — cartoonish images of black and white eyeballs — were infringed upon with items from Uniqlo’s 2023 collaborative collection. It is seeking a juried trial.
In its filing Tuesday in the U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, GEC said it has been selling its products with that motif since 2003. “The Googly Eye mark is synonymous with quality lifestyle and apparel products such as T-shirts, hats and other accessories and consumers and the trade instantly identify GEC as the source of all products bearing the Googly Eye trademark,” the complaint read.
Representatives for Uniqlo and Anya Hindmarch had not responded to media requests Wednesday afternoon.
GEC alleged that since the launch of the “Uniqlo x Anya Hindmarch 2023 winter collection,” the defendants have used the Googly Eye Mark in connection with their apparel. Similar motifs have been featured on accessories. Hindmarch is a London-based designer, who started her signature business in 1987. It does business as A.S.H.S. Ltd., and English limited company.
GEC took legal action in New York claiming that the allegedly infringing products were distributed, displayed and offered for sale in New York, and directly targeted New York consumers.
The amount of damages being sought by GEC are to be determined, said GEC’s attorney Jeffrey Gluck of the Gluck Law Firm. GEC claims that the defendants have violated the Lanham Trademark Act and are also seeking an injunction that would restrain the defendants from “advertising, marketing, promoting, supplying, distributing, offering for sale or selling skin care products or services with the Googly Eye mark,” the complaint read.
This week’s legal complaint isn’t the only infringement battle that Uniqlo is involved with. Earlier this year, in Tokyo Uniqlo filed a copyright infringement claim against Shein for a bag that the retail chain claims replicates one of its own. Unilo is reportedly seeking $1.1 million in compensation for damages.