Ugg boots trademark dispute

Ugg boots trademark disputes are the disputes between some footwear manufacturers, as to whether "ugg" is a protected trademark, or a generic term and thus ineligible for trademark protection. In Australia and New Zealand, where "Ugg" is a generic term for the style of footwear,[1][2] 702 registered trademarks include the term "Ugg" in various logos and designs.[3][4] By contrast, UGG is a registered trademark of the California-based company Deckers Outdoor Corporation in over 130 countries worldwide, including the U.S., the European Union, and China.[2][5]

Ugg boots (sometimes called uggs)[6] in Australia and New Zealand are a unisex style of sheepskin boot. In many other countries, however, UGG boots are a brand of footwear owned by Deckers.[7] The boots are made of twin-faced sheepskin with fleece on the inside and with a tanned outer surface, often with a synthetic sole. The boots originated in Australia and New Zealand, initially as utilitarian footwear worn for warmth and comfort. UGG boots emerged as a fashion trend in the United States in the late 1990s and as a world-wide trend in the late 2000s.[7]

  1. ^ Trade Marks Hearings 16 January 2006. Decision of a delegate of the registrar of trade marks with reasons. Pg 10
  2. ^ a b Marks, Kathy (18 January 2006). "Ugg: How a minnow put the boot into a fashion giant". The Independent. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Search for a trade mark (81 registered and 74 pending)". IP Australia. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  4. ^ The battle of the UGG BOOT continues Hynes Lawyers February 11, 2011
  5. ^ Website of Walker Morris UK solicitors firm, Leeds. Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine "Bootiful - UGG recognised as a well known mark in Turkey" Legal Briefing from the Trade Marks and Designs Group, 3 October 2011.
  6. ^ Thompson, Ian (16 January 2006). "Decision of a Delegate of the Registrar of Trade Marks with Reasons" (PDF). IP Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 July 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  7. ^ a b Sutherland & Tara Lachapelle, Brooke (26 November 2012). "UGGs in Play With Deckers Seen Luring Buyers: Real M&A". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved February 23, 2013.