Coldwater Creek sues over handbags

Call it the showdown over handbags: A Beverly Hills firm fired off a letter to Coldwater Creek last month, accusing the Sandpoint-based retailer of producing inexpensive knockoffs of its chi chi leather handbags.

Brighton Collectibles Inc. designs and sells purses, wallets and iPod covers, some with price tags of $300 or more. The firm’s product’s have a distinctive style, according to the letter sent by Brighton’s attorney, characterized by costly leather, brocaded fabrics, filigreed metal parts, and the “prominent use of a heart emblem.”

The letter claims that some less expensive Coldwater Creek purses so closely resemble Brighton’s trademark products that only the most discriminating of customers can tell the difference. Coldwater Creek’s Web site advertises $40 to $90 purses, some with fake leather accents.

Brighton threatened to sue Coldwater Creek for trademark infringement, but Coldwater Creek acted first.

Last week, the Sandpoint retailer sued Brighton in federal court in Idaho, saying the “false allegations” had placed a cloud over Coldwater Creek’s business.

“Due to its national reputation, Coldwater Creek has become a magnet for companies that seek to profit from Coldwater Creek’s growth,” said the lawsuit, citing the company’s expansion from a home-based business to a national retailer with annual sales of nearly $800 million.

Company spokesman David Gunter declined to comment on the suit. Brighton’s attorney didn’t return phone calls.

Coldwater Creek is seeking a judge’s ruling on the matter. Which begs the question, will purses be entered for evidence?