It's been a busy month for Fashion Nova's legal department.
About a week after filing a lawsuit against Rich the Kid, the fast-fashion brand has been sued by Playboy Enterprises, Inc. for alleged trademark infringement. According to a press release, the plaintiffs accuse Fashion Nova of hawking Halloween costumes that are obvious rip-offs of the iconic Playboy Bunny uniform; the costumes in question come with a black bodysuit, a bow tie and collar, tuxedo cuffs, and, of course, a pair of furry ears and an attached tail.
Playboy claims they had sent Fashion Nova a cease-and-desist letter, which demanded the brand stop the unauthorized marketing and sale of the costumes. Fashion Nova clearly dismissed the threats of legal action and continued to sell the designs on its websites with titles like "Miss B Bunny," "Bunny Hop," and "Bunny of the Month"; the latter of which is very similar to Playboy's "Playmate of the Month" trademark.
"Playboy has been a leading global lifestyle and entertainment brand for over 65 years," the company wrote in a press release. "Playboy takes its brand seriously and makes the defense and enforcement of its renowned trademarks ... a cornerstone of its efforts to ensure that when consumers see the Playboy marks, they can expect the associated goods or services to have the backing of Playboy ... Playboy considers the defense and enforcement of its celebrated trademarks of paramount importance in protecting its customers from those who wish to knowingly profit from deception and confusion."
According to TMZ, Playboy is seeking an order that prohibits Fashion Nova from producing and selling these bunny costumes. Fashion Nova has not publicly responded to the suit.
