Superdry and Jack Wills in legal fight over alleged copycat design

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Aug 28, 2018

Superdry is suing Jack Wills in a case that centres on allegations that the latter copied a padded jacket design from the Superdry portfolio.

The case around the black jacket also sees Superdry suing an ex employee over an alleged breach of contract with its former head of international business development having left the company and joined Jack Wills back in November.

Superdry is claiming that Greg Roberts had confidential information when he left the company, which is only to be expected given the prominent position he held there. However, it's also saying that he used that information when he moved into a completely new role as wholesale director at Jack Wills.

As well as the specific jacket in question, Superdry believes that the information he had – which includes knowledge of contracts, factories and materials – was used to inform development of the Jack Wills winter outerwear offer.

The jacket that is alleged to have been copied is Superdry’s Glacier Biker Jacket, which retails at £114.99. Superdry claims that the £99 Jack Wills Cuffley Padded Jacket is strikingly similar to its earlier design.

Superdry is clearly determined to make an impact with this legal action and has said that it could seek a High Court injunction to prevent the other retailer from releasing its winter coats.

However, Jack Wills has hit back saying, according to a report in the Daily Mail: “Why would we want to copy their designs? Our clothes are worn by gorgeous, cool young people and theirs appeal to the middle-aged.”

Superdry in its turn said that its products appeal both to young consumers and their “cool parents”.

Superdry has been given two weeks to submit its full case by a High Court judge and it has also been told to pay the £30,000 costs that Jack Wills faces.