Littlewoods Ireland withdraws Christmas jumper after legal wrangle

Last week online retail group Zatori Results claimed that Littlewoods Ireland had infringed its design for a man’s jumper featuring a snowman and Christmas trees.

It claimed that Littlewoods Ireland had damaged its business by allegedly breaching its intellectual property rights by offering for sale a jumper similar to one that Zatori sold in 2012, according to the Irish Independent.

Zatori claimed its sales of Christmas jumpers are down 75% from last year.

Zatori said its design includes a snowman in the centre of the jumper with stars surrounding it. It also features a moon and Santa sleigh.

Its design also features two Christmas trees on either side of the snowman, set against a navy blue background.

Sarah Byrt, intellectual property partner at law firm Mayer Brown, said: “Zatori had been relying on unregistered design right, the EU-wide right which lasts for just three years and helps the fashion world and other sectors protect seasonal designs which don’t need the extra cost involved in getting a registration. 

“Since the Littlewoods jumper apparently didn’t include the moon and reindeer-drawn sleigh which also feature in the Zatori design, Zatori had to show that its rights are nevertheless being infringed by arguing that the Littlewoods jumper gives the same “overall impression” on the “informed user”.”