Nordstrom and Patagonia settled a counterfeiting lawsuit Wednesday after the two major clothing retailers went back and forth in federal court for nearly a year.
On May 30, 2023, Patagonia accused Nordstrom of selling “thousands of counterfeit Patagonia sweatshirts and T-shirts” through its sister brand Nordstrom Rack, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. filed a lawsuit.
“Nordstrom enjoys a strong reputation among its customers and remains a trusted retailer,” the complaint states. “For many years, Nordstrom was an authorized retailer of Patagonia Inc. (“Patagonia”) apparel. Its reputation is also a factor. Although Nordstrom is no longer an official Patagonia retailer, Nordstrom customers expect to find authentic Patagonia products at Nordstrom. Stores including Nordstrom Rack stores. ”
According to the terms of the motion to dismiss, Patagonia dismissed the lawsuit against Nordstrom after both retailers signed a settlement agreement.
A Nordstrom spokesperson told USA TODAY, “This matter has been resolved without any admission of liability on Nordstrom’s part.” “At Nordstrom, the quality and integrity of our products is our top priority. We have rigorous standards to ensure the authenticity of our products, and our commitment to producing quality products through ethical business practices. We strive to partner with suppliers who share our values.”
As soon as Nordstrom learned of Patagonia’s concerns, the retailer removed some of its products from Nordstrom Rack stores and replaced it with Laza’s Group, a New Jersey-based third-party clothing vendor that purchased the products. The newspaper reports that the relationship has ended. Public Relations Officer.
USA TODAY reached out to Patagonia Thursday afternoon but did not immediately receive a response.
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Patagonia calls products sold by Nordstrom ‘obvious counterfeit products’
According to the complaint, Ventura, Calif.-based Patagonia claims that the products sold at Nordstrom “deliberately mislead customers” about the quality of the materials used and the conditions in which the garments were made, and are “clearly counterfeit.” ”.
“Patagonia has spent decades and invested millions of dollars establishing product quality and fair labor practices as pillars of its brand,” the complaint says. “These counterfeit products are preying on Patagonia’s reputation and misleading customers into purchasing low-quality products based on information or belief that are manufactured in factories with conditions that do not meet the requirements of Fair Trade certification. .”
Before filing the lawsuit, Patagonia informed Nordstrom of the issue and asked the Seattle-based department store chain to “voluntarily recall the product or refund customers.” The outdoor clothing retailer is suing Nordstrom for failing to recall “counterfeit (and) mislabeled Patagonia-branded products” and failing to notify customers that they had purchased counterfeits.
Nordstrom files third-party lawsuit against New Jersey clothing vendor
Patagonia and Nordstrom have reached a settlement, but according to the lawsuit dismissal agreement, Nordstrom still has third-party complaints against New Jersey clothing retailer Razaz Group LLC.
According to dismissal court documents, Nordstrom plans to file a motion for default judgment against Razaz Group. According to Hunnicutt Law Group in Dallas, Texas, if the defendant does not respond or does not appear at the hearing, the plaintiff files a motion for default judgment.
According to court documents, Nordstrom’s complaint accuses Razaz Group of supplying the “indicted product” that Patagonia first sued.
According to the third-party complaint, Nordstrom issued a series of purchase orders in September 2022, which Razaz Group accepted. Under the terms of the order, which included guaranteeing that the products were not counterfeit, the vendor agreed to supply Nordstrom with a variety of Patagonia-branded clothing, the lawsuit continued.
“Upon information and belief, Razaz Group itself manufactured and/or procured the accused products,” according to the complaint. “Nordstrom had no involvement in the design or manufacture of the accused products…Until we received notice from Patagonia, Nordstrom was not aware that the Patagonia-branded products purchased from Razaz Group were non-authentic. Nordstrom was authorized to sell Patagonia products in the United States. ”
It is unclear whether Razaz Group has an attorney, according to court documents.
