Italian company Bonato has denied charges in a lawsuit by David Yurman that it manufactured a knockoff of the Yurman Pinky Ring, after Yurman provided so-called trade secrets to Bonato sister company Artifex.
Yurman’s complaint, filed Oct. 15 in New York State Supreme Court, claims that Artifex owner Armando Pasini breached a confidentiality agreement covering the ring’s construction when Bonato began producing what it called an “obvious copy.”
In a response sent to JCK, Bonato calls the accusations “grave and totally ungrounded.”
“The truth of the facts proves, also to a non-expert eye, that Bonato’s ring and the Signature Pinky Ring are completely different rings,” says the Italian company. “This has been also clearly ascertained by experts.”
Bonato also claims it began designing and manufacturing its ring months before Pasini signed the confidentiality agreement.
The firm is now suing Yurman in Rome court, asking for a ruling on the ring in question, and claiming damages due to “Yurman’s behavior”: “Bonato will defend its rights in any proper venue, also by seeking compensation for the damages that David Yurman is causing to [the] Bonato business image and commercial relationships in the U.S. and abroad,” it adds.
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
