These boots were made for walkin’– no not your ugg boots, my UGG® boots.

On May 10, 2019, an eight-person jury in Illinois federal court found Sydney-based company Australian Leather Ltd. and owner Adnan Oygur liable for willful infringement of the “UGG” trademark (U.S. Reg. No. 3,050,925), registered to Deckers Outdoor Corporation since 2005.

In

On March 25, the European Commission (EC) fined Nike €12.5 million for restricting cross-border and online sales of branded merchandise by its European licensees. In December last year, the EC fined Guess €40 million for imposing restrictions on the use of its brand by distributors online. In total in 2018, the EC imposed fines of

Over the past couple of years there have been several important conversations regarding intellectual property issues in the beauty industry. This industry faces a persistent issue of copycat beauty looks that are not credited to the original inspiration. For example, earlier this year Instagram account Diet Prada called out two editorial beauty looks worn

Pop-star Selena Gomez is an international celebrity with 144 million followers on Instagram. That’s second only to soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo who trumps her by 500 followers.

So you might think companies would jump at the opportunity to enlist them as brand ambassadors. But companies are increasingly turning away from deals with mega stars like

On July 27, 2017, Crowell & Moring will be presenting a webinar hosted by the United States Fashion Industry Association on the hottest IP Supreme Court decisions from 2017 that will affect the fashion and retail industries.  Anne Li and Preetha Chakrabarti of Crowell will be discussing Star Athletica, LLC v. Varsity Brands, Inc. and

UPDATE to our September 2015 post

On March 22, 2017, a 6-2 Supreme Court found Varsity Brands’ designs on cheerleading uniforms to be copyrightable, holding that “an artistic feature of the design of a useful article is eligible for copyright protection if the feature (1) can be perceived as a two- or three-dimensional work of art separate from the useful article and (2) would qualify as a protectable pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work—either on its own or fixed in some other tangible medium of expression—if it were imagined separately from the useful article into which it is incorporated.” See Star Athletica, LLC. v. Varsity Brands, Inc., 580 U.S. __ (2017) (No. 15-866), Op. at 1-2.  In doing so, the Court affirmed the Sixth’s Circuit decision below.

Continue Reading A-F-F-I-R-M-E-D! The Supreme Court Upholds Copyright Protection for Cheerleading Uniform Designs

U-P-D-A-T-E! On May 2, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari to address the question: “What is the appropriate test to determine when a feature of a useful article is protectable under § 101 of the Copyright Act?”. The answer to this question may have far-reaching implications for the retail and fashion industries – stay tuned for future u-p-d-a-t-e-s!

Group of Cheerleaders in a Row

Originally published September 10, 2015

A recent decision from the Sixth Circuit highlights the ongoing significance of copyright law for the retail and garment industries. On August 19, 2015, the Sixth Circuit, in reversing the lower court’s decision, held that the “stripes, chevrons, zigzags, and colorblocks” on Varsity Brands’ cheerleading uniforms are protectable by copyright. In Varsity Brands et al v. Star Athletica, the Sixth Circuit dipped into the murky waters of copyright protection for fashion design, reiterating the need for greater legislative or judicial guidance when it comes to fashion design and copyright law. Nonetheless, the Court ultimately found, as other Circuits have, that “fabric design”, unlike “dress design”, is protectable.

At the district court level in Tennessee, Varsity Brands sued Star Athletica for infringing its registered copyrighted designs for cheerleader uniforms. On summary judgment, the district court determined that a cheerleading uniform cannot exist without the hallmark “stripes, chevrons, zigzags, and colorblocks,” and therefore found Varsity’s copyrights of such designs invalid as inseparable from the utilitarian aspect of a cheerleading uniform.Continue Reading UPDATE: R-E-V-E-R-S-A-L Spells Reversal! The Sixth Circuit Holds Varsity Brands’ Cheerleading Uniform Designs to be Copyrightable.

FLC Pic

On February 12, 2016, the Federal Bar Association will host a day-long Fashion Law Conference at Parsons School of Design (Starr Foundation Hall in the New School’s stunning new University Center) on the last day of New York Fashion Week!

Speakers include in-house counsel from The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., Tiffany & Co., New York

Danielle Air Jordans

Michael Jordan has settled two high-profile right of publicity lawsuits with two now-defunct grocery chains – Jewel Food Stores and Dominick’s Finer Foods.  In August, a jury awarded Jordan $8.9 million after a federal judge determined that Dominick’s violated Jordan’s rights under the Illinois Right of Publicity Act.  Jewel and Jordan were scheduled to start

Crowell & Moring is partnering with the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) for an October 20 webinar covering the emerging legal landscape for the fashion industry in the digital media age. The webinar will run from 2:00 to 3:00 pm ET and will explore how to:

  • Best protect your intellectual property rights as fashion