Iconic Australian ‘UGG’ Boots Forced to Rebrand After Losing Trademark Battle to US Giant

UGGs on display in New York City on Dec. 6, 2017. Brian Ach/Getty Images

“UGG Since 1974,” the Australian brand renowned for its iconic sheepskin footwear, is rebranding as “Since 74” in all countries outside of Australia and New Zealand.

This change comes after a protracted legal dispute with Deckers Outdoor Corporation, a U.S. fashion giant that holds the “UGG” trademark in 130 countries.

The Australian “UGG Since 1974” will continue to use its original name in Australia and New Zealand, where it holds local rights.

Todd Watts, the owner of UGG Since 1974, shared the news in a TikTok video on Jan. 15, where he explained the difficulties his company faced fighting a lawsuit against a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

“We’ve been proudly making Australian boots for over five decades and three generations, and we also own the trademark here in Australia and New Zealand, where the boots originated,” Watts said.

However, he acknowledged that the legal battle with Deckers had made it increasingly difficult to share their story with the wider world.

“Nothing else changes. Our brand doesn’t change, who we are, what we believe in, our roots are still the same,” he concluded.

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

UGG boots, popularised by surfers in the 1960s, gained worldwide recognition in the early 2000s.

The United States-based UGG was founded in California in 1978 by Australian surfer Brian Smith and later acquired by Deckers for $23.6 million in 1995.

Ongoing Legal Battle

The legal dispute between both businesses has a long history.

In 2019, a federal jury in Chicago ruled that Australian Leather’s use of the “UGG” term violated Deckers’ trademark, resulting in a $450,000 penalty.

The case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Australian Leather’s argument that “UGG” should be considered a generic term in Australia was rejected. This decision solidified Deckers’ ownership of the trademark in the U.S. and other countries.

In the 2018 ruling, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah determined that the term “UGG” could not be considered a general term for sheepskin boots.

Therefore, despite being widely used in Australia since the 1960s, “UGG” gained trademark protection in the United States.