No one can say the athletic retail company does not take its “Protect This House” slogan seriously.
When it comes to protecting its trademark, Under Armour has reportedly taken legal aim at many companies over the last year for simply having “Armor” in their name, even the little guys.
A small Maryland-based clothing company named Armor & Glory became the latest entry on Under Armour’s legal hit list after being served with a trademark infringement lawsuit earlier this month, The Washington Post reported yesterday (Aug. 19).
The family-owned business, which was founded in 2013, has only printed a few hundred shirts since it started and can count its 1,500-fan Facebook page as its sole form of advertising.
Nonetheless, Under Armour’s lawsuit claims Armor & Glory’s name “is likely to cause confusion, mistake and deception” as to connection between the two companies, which would “dilute the distinctiveness” and “further damage and irreparably injure” Under Armour’s brand, The Washington Post confirmed.
“It’s trademark bullying at its finest. I’m the little kid in the group, and they’re trying to kick dirt on my new shoes,” Armor & Glory Founder Terrance Jackson told The Washington Post, adding that the idea for the name came to him from “the full armor of God,” cited in Ephesians 6:11 in the Bible.
“When God gave this [name] to me, I never thought once about those guys. We don’t even spell it like them,” Jackson added.
Under Armour’s lawyers claim Armor & Glory should have to destroy any products bearing its name, turn over its domain and any profits and pay Under Armour’s attorney’s fees and damages of more than $100,000.
In a company statement seen by The Washington Post, Under Armour said: “Under Armour has made a significant investment in fortifying all aspects of the Under Armour brand, including our intellectual property and our extensive family of trademarks,” the company said in a statement. “As a result, we are prepared to take all necessary actions to protect our intellectual property rights and the interests of our consumers and shareholders.”
The company has filed lawsuits against sports drink company Body Armor, a Florida-based fishing apparel retailer called Salt Armour and shock-absorbing snowboarding shorts maker Ass Armor.
Compared to Under Armour, which holds its place as America’s second-biggest sportswear empire, Armor & Glory has so far made less than $100,00 in revenue, which The Washington Post pointed out is nearly 0.003 percent of Under Armour’s sales in 2014 alone.
But the small business is not backing down. Instead, it launched a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to help pay for its legal defense, which has raised $400 since being started on Aug. 16.
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