Newegg sues Kohl’s for trademark infringement

City of Industry, Calif. Online retailer Newegg filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on Monday against Kohl’s Corp., accusing the department store chain of trademark infringement and unfair competition.

According to the complaint, Newegg claims that Kohl’s recently used "The More You Know, The More You Kohl's" slogan, a misuse of Newegg’s trademarked and well-known “Once you Know, You Newegg” slogan. The trademark was registered in Sep. 5, 2006, but Newegg has been using the catchphrase since July 2004.

The pure-play retailer argues that it has “spent millions” building up this reputation, and the lawsuit is an effort to protect its trademarks “and prevent other companies from attempting to capitalize on our success by bolstering their own competitive businesses,” said Lee Cheng, general counsel of Newegg.

The lawsuit seeks to prevent Kohl's from continuing its advertising campaign and to immediately cease all use of the slogan. Newegg also wants monetary damages for lost revenue, corrective advertising and damage to Newegg's trademark.