Levi’s sues Australian clothing brand Globe over ‘blatant copying’ of tabs on pockets

Levi’s alleges it has lost sales and faced ‘incalculable and irreparable damage to [its] goodwill, reputation and standing with consumers’, court filings in California show. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Levi’s alleges it has lost sales and faced ‘incalculable and irreparable damage to [its] goodwill, reputation and standing with consumers’, court filings in California show. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images Levi’s sues Australian clothing brand Globe over ‘blatant copying’ of tabs on pockets Denim giant claims trademarked design has been copied by S-Double, which was founded in 2008 by Shawn Stussy and is owned by the Melbourne-based clothing company Global jeans giant Levi’s has launched legal action against Australian clothing company Globe and one of its brands for sewing tags on to pockets – which it says is “blatant copying” of its trademark design. The US denim giant made the same claim 15 years ago against the same brand, S-Double, founded by Shawn Stussy and owned by Melbourne-headquartered Globe. Levi Strauss and Co regularly files lawsuits over the small fabric tab on the outside edge of its jeans’ and shirts’ pockets, with Yves Saint Laurent and Brunello Cucinelli among the brands taken to court in recent years. Levi’s products have had pocket tabs since 1936, according to its website. Court filings in the northern district of California show Levi’s alleges the brand, S-Double, is guilty of trademark infringement, trade dress infringement, unfair competition, false advertising and “blatant copying”. Levi’s alleged it had lost sales and faced “incalculable and irreparable damage to [its] goodwill, reputation and standing with consumers”. It alleged the brands had targeted it by infringing its trademarks and that they knew their use of the pocket tab would harm Levi’s. “The Tab trademark is famous and recognised around the world and throughout the United States by consumers as signifying authentic, high-quality [Levi’s] garments,” the filing reads. “[It] was famous among the general consuming public long before Defendants began selling the products challenged in this Complaint.” View image in fullscreen An image supplied in a court document showing S-Double’s alleged infringing design against Levi Strauss. Photograph: United States District Court/S-Double Clothing Levi’s alleged it settled a 2010 lawsuit with S-Double after the brand committed to avoid selling pants that had “a label or tab or tab-like device, regardless of shape or color, affixed in any manner on a vertical seam of a rear pocket”. S-Double then allegedly resumed selling clothes bearing “nearly identical” pocket tabs, including shirts and pants with red, rectangular tabs on the outer edge of pockets, according to the filing. Shirts with white tabs also allegedly infringed Levi’s trademark. Levi’s says anti-Americanism linked to Trump policies could dent UK sales Read more Levi’s alleged it notified S-Double and Globe in March 2026 of t