Ralph Lauren Corp. is being sued in Texas federal court for patent infringement. Handbag designer Jimmy Bryan claimed in a 10-page complaint that Ralph Lauren copied the design for his wearable technology handbag that has an interior that illuminates and can charge electronic devices, such as cell phones.
According to the lawsuit, Ralph Lauren allegedly infringed on Bryan’s patent by using, offering to sell, selling, distributing, and importing its Ricky Bag With Light. The suit claims that the Ricky has the same electric accessory system as the Jimmy Bryan design. Bryan does not currently have any wearable technology handbags for sale. The lawsuit is based on patent protection for his design. Ralph Lauren declined to comment, saying the company does not discuss legal matters publicly.
The lawsuit also names Ralph Lauren Retail, Leoht Inc., and Kickstarter Inc. Leoht’s handbags with a built-in battery, USB charger, interior light, and wireless charger were first sold online on Kickstarter.
Ralph Lauren began to sell the wearable technology version of the Ricky handbag this past holiday season. The company’s executive vice president for advertising, marketing, and corporate communications said the wearable technology bag was a game changer in luxury. He said many people viewed Ralph Lauren as classic and timeless, but the company wanted to use technology to define modernity.
The Ricky Bag With Light was in development for eight months. The bags are handmade in Italy. It takes 12 hours to make each one. They are crafted with leather and rose gold hardware.
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