US-based Deckers Outdoor Corp has lost a high-profile legal battle against US company Quince over imitations of Ugg’s Australian sheepskin boots.
A federal court in California found Deckers’ design patent invalid, even though Quince’s boots may infringe it. The invalidity was based on functional, vague and obvious design features.
Deckers had already sued Quince in 2023 for infringing U.S. Patent No. D927,161. This is a design patent that protects the design of objects instead of inventions. In this case, it specifically referred to Ugg’s ‘Classic Ultra Mini’ boot.
This latest decision is another setback for Deckers in this long-running dispute. The clothing company, which also includes Hoka and Teva, had previously asserted trademark claims against Quince in the legal dispute.
Last year, however, a U.S. district judge ruled that the Ugg design was too generic for trademark protection.
Quince then filed an antitrust lawsuit against Deckers in February. The accusation is that Ugg’s owner is trying to claim an undue monopoly on basic, category-wide shoe features like rounded toes and thick soles.
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