Garden gnome business in legal fight with luxury brand Louis Vuitton over name trademark
A family business selling garden gnomes and decorations has found itself in a David and Goliath-style battle against one of the world's top fashion houses.
L V Bespoke was established in 2020 in a Norfolk village making metalwork and ornaments as well as selling plants and flower pots.
But when owners Lawrence and Victoria Osborne decided to register their trademark, they were surprised to receive a letter from lawyers on behalf of Louis Vuitton claiming the company's use of L and V in their name risked diluting the designer's brand.
Louis Vuitton is owned by LVMH, the luxury goods conglomerate headed up by one of the world's richest men, Bernard Arnault, who is worth an estimated $246bn.
"We were in complete shock," said Mrs Osborne, from Reepham. "We really thought it was a joke.
"It's a completely different area of expertise we operate in. They're very much a high-end luxury brand and we're a small north Norfolk business working in horticulture."
Writing to the couple, intellectual property specialists D Young and Co told them: "Our client noted your UK trade mark application... with great concern. You have applied to register a mark that is not only dominated by the sign LV but that, in its entirety, bears resemblance to our client's iconic monogram."
The lawyers said they had advised Louis Vuitton they could successfully challenge the trademark application since "our client's trade marks will inevitably be called to mind by consumers upon sight of your marketing activity and when purchasing the goods covered by your application".
The letter told Mr and Mrs Osborne the fashion house "wishes to give you the opportunity to resolve this matter amicably" and advised them to withdraw the application.
Since then, the couple said they had gone back and forth with Louis Vuitton and its lawyers to try to find a solution.
But the Norfolk business owners who have three sons, Lochlan, eight, Lucas, 16, and Mac, 18, claim the fashion house has been unwilling to make any compromises - leaving them with no choice but to go to court.
By the time they reached the hearing in front of the Intellectual Property Office last week, Mr and Mrs Osborne had already spent tens of thousands of pounds trying to fight the designer giants, they said.
They now face an anxious wait for the ruling - which could take more than two months.
Mrs Osborne, 47, said she was feeling "quietly confident".
"I'm hoping that common sense is going to prevail," she added. "It's been an incredibly stressful time for the whole family over the last 18 months."
L V Bespoke was only set up in 2020 after the Covid 19 lockdown restrictions stripped the family's income.
After making some metal plant stands for themselves, they began selling them on Facebook, Gumtree and at car boot sales and the business soon took off.
The couple were soon exhibiting at Blenheim Palace, Hampton Court - where they recently won a RHS award - and Tatton Park.
It went from a turnover of £35,000 in its first year to £250,000 last year - although that still pales in significance next to Louis Vuitton's billions.
In 2022, group turnover at LVMH - which also owns the Moet & Chandon and Dom Perignon champagne houses, Christian Dior and Fendi fashion brands, and watch-makers Hublot and Tag Heuer - was 79.2bn euros (£68.04bn).
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