Sportswear Brand Sues University Over Similarities in Merchandise

As reported by the Associated Press, Columbia Sportswear has sued Columbia University, claiming that the university infringed the sportswear company’s trademark and breached an agreement between the parties from June 2023.

It is reported that, as part of the agreement, the two parties agreed that Columbia University could emblazon “Columbia” on their apparel, on the condition that it be accompanied by one of: the school insignia or its mascot, the word “university”, the name of the academic department, or the year that the school was founded, 1754, or a combination. The goal was to ensure that consumers would not be confused by similarities in the two brands’ merchandise.

In the lawsuit, Columbia Sportswear reportedly alleges that the university breached the agreement and sold garments that are “confusingly similar” to the merchandise sold by the sportswear brand. Columbia Sportswear claims that the university marketed products that do not include any reference to the university, and that feature a blue shade that is similar to the colour associated with the sportswear brand.

The suit alleges that “[t]he likelihood of deception, confusion, and mistake engendered by the university’s misappropriation and misuse of the Columbia name is causing irreparable harm to the brand […]”.