Jacksonville, FL–Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but Jacksonville, FL-based swimwear cataloger Venus Swimwear would rather the flattery come in another form. The cataloger filed a federal lawsuit charging trademark infringement against $614 million Anaheim, CA-based retailer Pacific Sunwear and Pacific Sunwear of California.
Venus Swimwear president Darryl Scott contends that on many of Pacific Sunwear’s Venus Girl Trap products, the retailer is using the trademark in a way that is causing customers to believe that the merchandise was produced by Venus. Venus, which is seeking to collect for damages, registered the trademarks Venus Swimwear in 1988 and Venus in 1996. Pacific Sunwear registered the trademark Venus Girl Trap in 1997 and is using that mark on many of the same class of products that Venus markets. Pacific Sun did not return calls.