Hells Angels & McQueen Settle Lawsuit

Update: Clapp contacted us via email to clarify the settlement, saying, "WWD overstated the point...defendants stopped selling, are recalling and accounting, but not have not yet agreed to destruction of all items."

We later spoke to him on the phone. He told us, "Of course [destruction of the items is] on the table. It was part of our initial demand of the complaint. We just haven't gotten seriously into the negotiations yet, and even if we had, we wouldn't have made them public. The case is going to settle but details like [destroying the garments] would be overreaching." Clapp added, "We might treat the rings and the bag differently than the dress and the scarf," and that they hoped to reach a decision within a couple weeks.

Previously: Hells Angels and McQueen have settled their lawsuit, WWD reports. The motorcycle gang was suing the fashion house for using its trademarked winged death's head symbol in some of its designs.

Saks Fifth Avenue and Zappos.com were also involved in the case, since the stores sold the McQueen merchandise in question -- a $495 Hell's Knuckle Duster ring, a $2,329 clutch, a $1,595 dress and a $560 silk scarf.

According to WWD, Hell Angels' attorney Fritz Clapp explained:

The companies also agreed on Tuesday to recall merchandise that has already been sold and destroy it. While the Hells Angels also requested financial damages based on profits earned by the fashion companies on the merchandise, Clapp said there is currently no estimate on the exact number of items that were sold.

Clapp said the Hells Angels believe their symbols to be, "quite exclusive. They consider themselves members, not someone who bought a $495 ring."

Comments

[namdlogd]

03:38 PM on 11/08/2010

hilarious

[Jerome Wilson]

04:44 PM on 11/05/2010

Would have been the first time that high fashion would have been appropriate for my mom :(
Biker girls like to dress up too

[Moxo]

02:16 AM on 11/04/2010

Anyone seen McQueen's horse lately?

[DandaPanda]

10:15 AM on 11/04/2010

the HA boys like horses. You are mixing up your gangs.

[Siren Song]

01:51 AM on 11/04/2010

Intellectual property is to be respected. As are the Hell's Angels.

[Goliadkin]

12:02 AM on 11/04/2010

Remember Altamont?

[CK Barrett]

09:37 PM on 11/03/2010

I applaud the modernization of Hell's Angels and even though I am a fan of McQueen design, I fully support the respect of intellectual property.

[GlennWatson]

08:29 PM on 11/03/2010

The headline made me think Steve McQueen was being sued by the Hells Angles or vice versa, which would have been cool.

[doctorwang]

12:29 AM on 11/04/2010

LOL !! Yes it would have......

[johnnygoodwud]

05:41 PM on 11/03/2010

like to know the age demographic of the ave. angels member? i'm guessing close to 50.

[tjconkster]

09:22 PM on 11/03/2010

and you would be wrong...

[Biochemist she]

11:28 PM on 11/03/2010

Is is it twenties? Thirties? I don't know much about the group. Regardless, Lee McQueen's successor, Sarah Burton, should have asked permission before using their trademark.

[Kevin1961]

03:47 PM on 11/03/2010

Really? It's come down to this? The Hell's Angles suing someone for using their skull head design? What ever happened to the days when the Hell's Angles would have just kicked your @ss, or worse? I suppose that after the court case, the Hell's Angles will meet at Trader Vic's for a light lunch and a Mai Tais.

[Chaling]

04:48 PM on 11/03/2010

yeah, let's watch the show when they try to put the Outlaw's skull on stuff...

[nfatt1]

11:28 PM on 11/03/2010

Riding in on the Hogs, of course.Whatever happened to screw society.

[onionboy]

03:02 PM on 11/03/2010

Bad taste. What next? Should we have clothes not just inspired by, but advertising the Medellin Cartel, the Crips, MS-13, NLR, Gambino, Obeshina?

Do people still not believe that Hells Angels are a criminal enterprise?

Biker clothes, fine. Advertising HA, bad taste.

[MichaelangeloTheSinger]

02:36 PM on 11/03/2010

$560 silk scarf?
How rich or consumer crazy do you have be,
to pay these outrageous prices?
D@m
A Queen named queen ruffling the leather of and aging Motor cycle gang!
The end of an era!

[Biochemist she]

08:44 PM on 11/03/2010

Not nice to speak ill of the deceased.

And it wasn't McQueen who used the Angle's trademark in the collection; on the contrary, it was his protege and long-time partner, Sarah Burton, who used the logo.

Lee McQueen had already passed away when this collection was designed.

On a different note, I agree about the $560. silk scarf. It's obscene.

[Biochemist she]

11:26 PM on 11/03/2010

Sorry, *Angel's*

[wm1066]

02:20 PM on 11/03/2010

How McQueen thought they could skirt Trademark laws is mindboggeling, and with the Angels of all groups, unfreaking real!

[Paladine]

12:41 AM on 11/04/2010

Around here the correct abbreviation for Hells Angels, is "Hells" or "HA"...not "Angels". :)

[wm1066]

02:46 PM on 11/04/2010

Well, I'm in Minnesota, we don't see to many Hells Angels in this neck of the woods.

[Paladine]

12:42 AM on 11/04/2010

faved, nonetheless...:)

[FritzClapp]

02:05 PM on 11/03/2010

Report from WWD is overstated. All items are to be recalled and sequestered, but decision regarding destruction of specific items not yet made pending full review.

[mlaiuppa]

02:15 AM on 11/04/2010

How are they going to force people to return items they've bought and paid for?

[Seeking Justice]

01:55 PM on 11/03/2010

Wow, McQuuen, that's quite a rather large set of cojones you have there.

Inspiration is one thing. Trademark infringement another.

[lmb21]

01:54 PM on 11/03/2010

There are plenty of other "clubs" I could think of infringing on before I would start trouble with the Angels. They are very protective.