Levi Strauss uses its trademarked tab on jeans and other items of clothing. Credit: fluke samed via Shutterstock.

San Francisco-based clothing company Levi Strauss & Co has initiated legal action against Italian luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli, alleging trademark infringement over its distinctive pocket tab.  

The lawsuit, lodged in a San Francisco federal court, includes evidence of 14 photos showcasing Brunello Cucinelli apparel that Levi contends bear “nearly identical” tabs to those trademarked by Levi in 1938. 

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The tab trademark consists of a textile marker or other material sewn into one of the garment’s regular structural seams. Levi Strauss uses it on Levi’s jeans, trousers, jackets, shirts and other clothing items. 

The company argues that the similarity could lead to consumer confusion, potentially resulting in lost sales and harm to its brand’s goodwill and reputation.  

It is seeking to halt the sales of the contested clothing, unspecified damages, including those for lost profits, and additional remedies.  

Levi’s also states that efforts to settle the matter out of court have proved fruitless. 

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The company, which also owns the Dockers and Beyond Yoga brands, has a history of vigorously defending its tabs. 

In 2018, the denim manufacturer filed a lawsuit against the American branch of Kering‘s Yves Saint Laurent alleging trademark infringement over the inclusion of tabs on jean pockets. 

In the same year, Levi Strauss also sued LVMH’s [Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton] French luxury house Kenzo over trademark infringement for putting tabs on the back pockets of its jeans. 

The two lawsuits are reported to have concluded in settlements.