Their collection of keychains look familiar.
Legal documents point Little Trees’ acquisition of the trademark in 1952. The concept gained popularity to the point of being licensed by heavy-hitting companies such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Discover Financial Services, Kia Motors and Capital One. According to the lawsuit, Balenciaga failed to even ask for permission to emulate the trademark before beginning to market and profit from the rip-offs.
The legal issue also lies the potential of costumer’s confusing both brands. The plaintiff is asking Balenciaga to give them the profits generated from their keychains. For context, 1 pack of Little Trees fresheners is usually sold for approximately 3$ while the Balenciaga keyrings are priced at $275 each.