Fourth circuit settles canine couture fight

Score one for the little guy (or pooch).

A panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a ruling today that kept Las Vegas-based Haute Diggity Dog and Ashburn, Va.-based Woofie’s Pet Boutique in business.

Luxury handbag maker Louis Vuitton had claimed Haute infringed on its trademark with “Chewy Vuiton” dog toys, but – as the AP puts it – the court “refused to bite.”

The AP reports:

Judge Paul V. Niemeyer found that Chewy Vuiton is "a joking and amusing parody" that "pokes fun at the elegance and expensiveness of a LOUIS VUITTON handbag."

Read the full opinion here. (PDF)

And take note of some of Haute's other parodies: Chewnel perfume and The Bark Street Journal.

-JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor