LVMH Puts Out Another Fire

LVMH appear to be in a reconciliatory mood this week, as hot off the heels of settling its long running quarrel with Hermes it has settled its decade-long legal dispute with Google.

The two companies have been engaged in a lengthy legal exchange since 2003, concerning eBay allowing the sale of counterfeit goods bearing the name of designer brands that LVMH owns (including Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior) on its ecommerce site, as well as allowing advertisers to buy registered trademarks belonging to LVMH as keywords.

LVMH V Google

Rather than continue to fight each other, they have now signed an agreement to work together, reports  WWD in a union that will "further enhance their current extensive resources to tackle the advertising and sale of counterfeit goods online," according to a joint statement.

Peace between the brands has not, however, come without battle scars. In 2006, the Paris Central Court ordered Google to pay LVMH €300,000 for trademark infringement, and in 2008 a French court ordered Google to hand over €38.9 million for allowing the sale of counterfeit goods and for the unlawful sales of authentic fragrances (the highest-ever fine awarded against it in Europe), although this was later reduced to €5.7 million at an appeal in 2010.