Ugg has to change name after losing legal battle

Australian shoe brand Ugg is forced to change its name after it lost a protracted legal battle with the American company that holds the overseas trademark.

Decades of conflict

Shoe brand “Ugg Since 1974” will drop the first (and arguably most famous) part of its name outside Australia and New Zealand, and be henceforth known internationally as just “Since 1974”. That is the result of a legal victory for US-based Deckers Outdoor Brands, which owns the rights to the ‘Ugg’ brand in more than 130 countries.

The term ‘ugg’ is commonly used in Australia for a kind of sheepskin boots that has been produced locally since the 1930s. The popularity of these boots got a boost in the 1960s thanks to surfers, after which Ugg Since 1974 was officially established. At the same time, Australian entrepreneur Brian Smith registered the brand name ‘Ugg’ in the United States in 1985. These rights were taken over in 1995 by Deckers Brands, which has since taken strict action against use of the name outside Australia and New Zealand.