On Feb. 15, the Pennsylvania Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit brought by apparel marketer Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) against rival American Eagle alleging that the latter had copied its clothing designs and catalog creative. The decision affirmed a lower court decision to dismiss the 1998 case. According to a statement released by American Eagle, the court stated that “the clothing designs A&F seeks a monopoly on are functional as a matter of law, and therefore not protectable as trade dress.”