The Canadian Olympic Committee is suing VF Outdoor (Canada) Inc., doing business as The North Face, for allegedly passing itself off as a sponsor of the Canadian Olympic team with a line of clothing featuring references to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
The COC filed a notice of civil claim in B.C. Supreme Court on February 4, claiming the apparel company’s “2014 Villagewear Collection” is intentionally misleading to consumers by implying that the clothes support the Canadian Olympic team.
“The use of the term ‘villagewear’ is an obvious reference to the clothing that Olympic athletes will wear while in the 2014 Olympic Village,” the lawsuit states. “The Villagewear Collection emphasized the flags of several of the most significant participants (including Canada) in the Winter Olympic Games.”
The clothing line also features marks such as “RU/14,” “Sochi,” “Olympic” and “Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games,” which VF Outdoor used in marketing and advertising materials without a license.
The COC claims the collection was “intentionally designed to look like Canadian Olympic Team uniforms.”
Meanwhile, VF Outdoor allegedly refused to comply with the Canadian Olympic Committee’s cease and desist demands. None of the allegations has been proven in court and the defendant had not filed a response to the claim by press time.
