Coachella Music and Arts Festival have embarked on a legal motion and are suing Urban Outfitters for trademark infringement stating, “trading on the goodwill and fame” of the festival/brand itself.
The complaint was filed this past Tuesday in California that states that, “items marketed by the Urban Outfitters subsidiary Free People using “Coachella” in the product name or description. These include Free People's “Coachella Boot,” “Coachella Mini Dress,” “Coachella Pocket Tank” and “Coachella Valley Tunic.” – Billboard
While many clothing brands tend to capitalize on the “festival season” fashion wave, heavying up marketing on common trends during this time, Urban Outfitters has allegedly (under complaints filed by the festival) has utilized search marketing tactics of utilizing branded keywords to direct consumers to their site, which is seen as a “misdirection”.
The festival officially kicks off in less than a month starting weekend 1 on April 14th bringing an estimated 600,000 attendees to Indio, CA.
Source: Billboard