Luxury conglomerate LVMH is facing a lawsuit from Watch Skins Corporation, which accuses the company of patent infringement over NFT smartwatch face technology.
In a complaint filed on March 10 in a Texas federal court, Watch Skins alleged that LVMH unlawfully utilized its patented NFT display technology, originally designed to allow users to showcase verified NFT artworks on smartwatches. The company claims to hold multiple patents related to the system and asserts that LVMH’s TAG Heuer brand, among others, used the technology without authorization.
Watch Skins detailed three key patents: one covering NFT ownership verification before display, another requiring blockchain wallet authentication for NFTs to appear on smartwatches, and a third concerning the retrieval and customization of watch faces based on NFT ownership. The company alleged that TAG Heuer actively encouraged patent infringement by providing instructions on how to use its NFT display features.
“The watch allows the NFT to be displayed if owned by the user’s crypto wallet [and] connects to a user’s crypto wallet to guarantee authenticity of works displayed,” the lawsuit stated.
Watch Skins is seeking a jury trial, financial compensation for lost profits and royalties, and a court order preventing LVMH from further use of the disputed technology.
The company first introduced its blockchain-based NFT smartwatch face marketplace at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, offering users the ability to purchase licensed smartwatch faces from well-known brands.
LVMH, which owns luxury names such as Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, Tiffany, and Christian Dior, has not yet responded to the allegations.
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