Back in December last year, iconic grunge band Nirvana filed a lawsuit against fashion house Marc Jacobs for using their recognizable smiley face design on Marc Jacobs’ t-shirts and sweatshirts under the name “Bootleg Grunge”. However, the case continues in court.
A signature yellow smiley grimace remains under Nirvana’s trademark rights, despite Marc Jacobs objecting with a proposal to dismiss, as Judge John Kronstadt ruled in Nirvana’s favor, stating that not only the smiley graphic was in question, but the use of the black background and a similar font and placement above the design.