The luxury Italian goods designer, Salvatore Ferragamo SpA, is suing former Los Angeles Rams and University of Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Vince Ferragamo for trademark infringement. Salvatore Ferragamo claim Vince Ferragamo committed trademark infringement by opening a winery in Southern California in his namesake, Tenuta Di Ferragamo.
In the suit filed in Manhattan Federal Court, Salvatore Ferragamo alleged the winery is “likely to cause consumer confusion” and “dilute the Plaintiff’s trademarks, which include two federally registered trademarks for wine.” The suit goes on to claim “the defendants’ acts have caused, and will continue to cause, irreparable injury to Salvatore Ferragamo.”
The Ferragamo Family, since the 1990’s, has owned a winery in Tuscany known as Il Borro. They have accused Vince Ferragamo of illegally selling wine under the name Tenuta Di Ferragamo. On the winery’s website Vince uses images from Tuscany and the Italian countryside even though the winery, which began making wine in 2010, is in fact located in California. Salvatore Ferragamo’s family claims the images from the website will confuse consumers. Salvatore Ferragamo’s family alleges it has owned the trademark rights to the Ferragamo name for beverages since 2006.
Salvatore Ferragamo is also taking issue with the internet domain name used by Vince Ferragamo and associated with his winery, www.ferragamowinery.com.
Salvatore Ferragamo asserts that Vincent has ignored numerous cease-and-desist demands. This lawsuit is directed at halting alleged infringing activity, recouping damages and alleged illegal profits from wine sales.
The case is Ferragamo SpA v. Ferragamo Winery et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-03313.
