TJ Hughes pays damages over fake Fred Perry shirts

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
May 29, 2018

TJ Hughes has agreed to pay an undisclosed settlement figure to Fred Perry after admitting that it had sold about 2,500 fake polo shirts bearing the Fred Perry name and laurel wreath logo.

The Liverpool-based retailer accepted it had infringed the brand’s trademark rights and committed to not selling counterfeit Fred Perry items in the future, in addition to handing over around 755 unsold items, according to media reports.

Fred Perry is a British brand best known for its cotton polo shirts. Launched at Wimbledon in 1952, the Fred Perry shirt became an immediate success and evolved into a symbol of mod culture in the 1960s.

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The laurel wreath logo, registered for clothing since 1955, is based on the original symbol of Wimbledon. Fred Perry has previously had disputes over its trademarks with Topshop, American Retailer Land’s End and Secret Sales.

A spokesperson for the brand said: “The laurel wreath is more than a logo to us – it’s a badge of honour that has always sat over the heart of everybody who wears a Fred Perry Shirt, and we will always protect it.

“We will not hesitate to enforce our intellectual property rights when they are infringed, and we will continue to take action against the sellers and manufacturers of counterfeit versions of our garments.”

Andrew Stone, a senior associate at Clarke Willmott LLP, the law firm that represented Fred Perry in the trademark case, said: ““This action against Lewis’ Home Retail Limited t/a TJ Hughes highlights Fred Perry’s unshakeable resolve to ensure that its intellectual property rights are enforced. This case also highlights the fact that retailers must take all necessary steps to ensure the provenance of the goods which they offer for sale.”