#RitterTip | House of Gucci

Fernanda Tissot
Aug 1, 2022
2 min read

“House of Gucci”

Released in November 2021, the film House of Gucci, directed by Ridley Scott, tells the story of Patrizia Reggiani, played by Lady Gaga, who arranged the murder of her former husband, Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver, in 1995. Maurizio was an heir to and, at the time, a director of the world-famous Gucci brand, founded in 1921 by the Italian Guccio Gucci.

The film portrays a story of love, hatred, betrayal, and the inner workings of the Gucci family. The family was deeply dissatisfied with the production and threatened to sue the director for portraying them, in their own words, as “thugs, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them.”

The film features an acclaimed cast, including the legendary Al Pacino, Lady Gaga in an outstanding performance, an almost unrecognizable Jared Leto, as well as Adam Driver, Jeremy Irons, and Salma Hayek.

In addition to telling the true story of the fashion house heir’s death, the film depicts the legal dispute concerning Paolo Gucci’s use of the “Gucci” trademark. Paolo, played by Jared Leto, attempts to use his famous surname to launch his own fashion label even after leaving the company. He is promptly prevented from doing so by his cousin Maurizio Gucci, who was serving as a director of the company at the time and was later murdered at the request of his former wife.

At one point, the film depicts a scene that is relatively common in the field of intellectual property: the enforcement of a court order requiring the cessation of the unauthorized use of a trademark—in this case, the “Gucci” trademark.

The order is enforced during the lavish fashion show held to present Paolo Gucci’s collection, causing the designer considerable embarrassment within the film’s storyline.

Not only was the murder portrayed in the film real, but so was the dispute involving the trademark. The case was decided in New York¹ in 1988.

According to the decision, if Paolo Gucci continued using his name as a trademark, consumer confusion would likely arise, as members of the public might believe that his products were associated with the well-known “Gucci” brand.

Paolo Gucci, the grandson of founder Guccio Gucci, was therefore prohibited from using his name as a trademark.

He was, however, permitted to use his name to identify himself as the designer of products, provided that the information appeared only in a secondary manner and was associated with another trademark that did not contain the term “Gucci.”

The decision also required Paolo to include a disclaimer stating that he was not affiliated with the Gucci fashion house.

Disputes over the use of the Gucci surname as a trademark did not end there.² These cases further demonstrate the importance of carefully drafted agreements and the proper protection of trademarks as valuable intangible assets.

¹ Gucci v. Gucci Shops, Inc., 688 F. Supp. 916 (S.D.N.Y. 1988). United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. June 17, 1988.

² Gucci America Inc. v. Jennifer Gucci (2010), Gucci v. Guccio Gucci and Alessandro Gucci (2012), and Gucci v. Gucci (2017).