Swiss cycling clothing manufacturer, Assos, has filed legal action against British fast-fashion eCommerce retailer, ASOS PLC, for the second time in a decade.
The reason for the latest claim, which was first reported by City AM on Tuesday morning, is unconfirmed, however, a court filing seen by Cyclingnews outlines a Part 7 Claim - essentially a way to begin a formal lawsuit in civil court in England - for a 'breach of contract.'
The contract in question, and indeed how it is claimed to have been breached, are unconfirmed. The claim is filed not only against ASOS PLC but against 'ASOS.Com Limited' and 'ASOS France SAS' too.
The court filing states that the London-based law firm, Fladgate LLP, has been instructed on behalf of Assos of Switzerland. Representatives on behalf of ASOS are yet to be listed.
Cyclingnews has contacted both Fladgate and Assos for further information, but at the time of publication, neither has replied.
The news follows a 2016 case in which ASOS reportedly paid £20.2 million to settle a trademark dispute with Assos of Switzerland and German menswear retailer Anson's Herrenhaus.
In that case, which spanned five years starting in 2011, Assos alleged that Asos' selling clothing and other fashion accessories under the ASOS name infringed its Community Trade Mark.
The initial trial found largely in favour of ASOS and partially revoked the Assos mark, but the subsequent court of appeal process found likely confusion between the two names. Eventually, ASOS settled with both Assos and Anson's Herrenhaus, and a report in The Guardian at the time stated that Asos would be restricted from selling cyclewear.
Assos is highly revered among cyclists for the quality and performance of its cycling clothing. Its products are regular inclusions in the Cyclingnews tech team's buying guides, with the Assos Mille GT winter jacket among the best winter cycling jackets on the market.
The brand made headlines in 2021 with the launch of the Johdah jacket, which had an enormous retail price of $725.00 / £575.00 / €650.00.
