Ugg loses Australian registration
News.com.au reports that the Australian trade mark registration of the term UGG for boots has been revoked. The mark, formerly owned by Decker, an American boot manufacturer, has been found by the hearing office to be generic. He said
"The evidence overwhelmingly supports the proposition that the terms (ugg, ugh and ug boots) are interchangeably used to describe a specific style of sheepskin boot and are the first and most natural way in which to describe these goods."
The mark has been registered since the 1970s, but originated in the 1960s as an abbreviated form of “ugly”. Rival boot manufacturers have proclaimed themselves to be very happy with the decision. It is now possible that they will go on to challenge the US UGG registration since a key reason why an application for revocation was refused was that the mark was not considered generic in Australia.
The IPKat says this sounds like a good decision, but are ugg boots still fashionable?
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