Invista Wages Ad Campaign Against Trademark Abuse

Invista is launching an advertising campaign to protect its brand names from being copied after two Italian court rulings came down against importers of counterfeit goods bearing Invista-branded names.

Invista, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, based in Wichita, Kan., owns a number of brand names well known in the apparel and textile industries. The most recognizable is Lycra, followed by CoolMax, Dacron, Stainmaster and Thermolite.

In one ad, a chain is attached to a security lock with the official Lycra fiber brand logo on the lock. Another ad shows a knee-high sock with the Lycra trademark symbol. Both ads will have the slogan “Protecting Lycra fiber from identity theft.”

“At Invista, we take trademark infringement very seriously, and it’s important for us to be proactive as well as reactive in demonstrating our commitment to protecting our brands,” said Max Wiesendanger, executive vice president for Invista’s apparel business in Europe and South Asia. “Our bold, new advertising campaign confirms that as a business, we will take the necessary action to ensure our brands are not threatened by counterfeits.”—Deborah Belgum