Australian retailer ugg was forced to change its name because of the American footwear giant

A nearly decade-long legal battle has resulted in an iconic Australian brand having to change its name when shipping overseas.

Todd Springthorpe of UGG Since 1974 said the brand was being sued by Deckers Outdoor Corporation – an American footwear company – for trademarking the word UGG in a video posted on TikTok on Tuesday.

“We have proudly made Australian boots for over five decades and three generations. We also own the trademark in Australia and New Zealand, which is where the boots originated — which is where the UGG boots originated from,” Todd said.

He explained that the lawsuit from Deckers made it difficult for the brand to share their boots with people outside of Australia and New Zealand.

Springthorpe, who is the grandson of founders Arthur and Faye, said it was “extremely difficult” to fight a lawsuit against a multi-billion dollar company. This meant that the brand would no longer be known as UGG from 1974 outside of Australia and New Zealand. Instead, it will be called Since 1974.

He said the brand hasn’t changed who UGG was since 1974 or what it believed in.

“We are the original and we will still be the original, no matter what our label says on the back of our boots,” he said.

The court process is still ongoing.

In Australia, ugg is a general term for any sheepskin boot – which has been made since the 1930s.

It was popularized by surfers in the 1960s. At the time of UGG By 1974, ugg was becoming the accepted term for sheepskin boots.

Another man, completely unrelated to UGG Since 1974, distributed Uggs of another Australian brand in the United States. However, this man then sold the trademark. Eventually, it ended up in the hands of Deckers Outdoor Corporation.

Deckers argued that it had legally purchased UGG from Australian entrepreneur Brian Smith in 1995. The name UGG Australia was then trademarked. Deckers Outdoor Corporation has this trademark in 130 countries.

He said American shoppers knew UGG as a brand name – rather than a blanket term like Aussies.

The lawsuit began in 2016 after Deckers Outdoor Corporation sued Australian Leather, which has owned UGG since 1974, for copyright infringement.

Eddie Oygur, owner of Australian Leather, told the New York Times in 2021: “This is not just about me; it’s about Australia bringing back the ‘ugg’.

“The trademark should not have been granted to the US in the first place”

Mr Springthorpe thanked Australians for their support, adding that he would update people as the case progressed.