A Scots laird has gone to court seeking damages against a US firm he alleges has infringed the intellectual property of his luxury men’s accessories company.
Grants of Dalvey, which is run by Sir Patrick Grant, a businessman and major landowner in the Highlands, has enlisted lawyers in the US as part of its fight against a similarly named gift retailer it accuses of using its trademark without permission.
The 70 year-old, the 14th baronet of Dalvey, is the owner and managing director of Grants. The firm can trace its origins back to the late 19th century, and has made its name selling high-end gifts and goods for “independent and discerning” men.
But now the firm has embarked on legal action stateside in an attempt to protect its brand and recoup what it says are lost earnings as a result of the alleged trademark breach.
Documents filed with the US District Court in Rhode Island show lawyers acting for Grants have served a complaint against a company called Dalvey & Co under what is known as the Lanham Act, a federal law in the US covering intellectual property rights.
Grants, based in Alness, near the Cromarty Firth, claims the Pennsylvania company has been selling goods throughout the US using an unregistered ‘Dalvey & Co’ trademark, which, its lawyers argue, is likely to cause confusion and infringe on its own registered trademarks.
The firm now known as Grants of Dalvey dates back to 1897, when it was founded as Duncan MacRae, a musical instrument manufacturer specialising in the production of bagpipes. It was acquired in the 1970s by Sir Patrick, who subsequently oversaw its transition to a design-led men’s accessories brand.
Since producing its first accessory, a flask, its offering has expanded significantly, with the firm engraving thousands of its products purchased as gifts for occasions such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and retirements. Its range of bespoke goods includes pocket watches, flasks, compasses, barometers, cufflinks and travel clocks.
