Fashion Fisticuffs

The other designer shoe has dropped: designer Joseph Abboud is being sued by the company to which he sold his name, the WSJ reports. (See my previous post.) That company is alleging that Abboud's plan to describe his new line, jaz, with the tagline "a new composition by designer Joseph Abboud" will confuse consumers and violates the company's trademark rights in Abboud's name.

Abboud counters that he didn't sell his right of publicity, and will presumably argue that this use of the trademark is simply descriptive of his goods.

Sounds like a tough case. A lot may turn on the specificity of the contract between the two parties.