Cartier Accuses Tiffany of Stealing "Trade Secrets"
March 02, 22
(IDEX Online) - Cartier yesterday filed a lawsuit in the USA against rival Tiffany & Co, alleging it had recruited a staff member to access "trade secrets".
The luxury jeweler claims Tiffany hired junior manager Megan Marino for her knowledge of its high jewelry collection of pieces priced at up $10m.
Tiffany fired her after just five weeks, according to court papers seen by Reuters.
Marino is reported to have said in affidavit accompanying the Cartier complaint that Tiffany was "more interested in hiring me as a source of information than as a high jewelry manager".
Cartier, part of the Richemont group in Switzerland, has filed papers at New York State Supreme Court, New York County, against Tiffany, newly-acquired by the French conglomerate LVMH.
Tiffany said in a statement: "We deny the baseless allegations and will vigorously defend ourselves."
Cartier said: "Tiffany's commercial ambition crossed the line between the ordinary course of business and unfair competition."