Ugg-ly Corporate America
As I have mentioned before, I am privileged to be married to a gorgeous Aussie girl. One of the many perks of an international marriage is having all sorts of great Australian products not always available here in North America. One such product that I am a die hard fan of is the amazingly comfortable ugg boots.
Ugg boots are sheepskin boots with the leather on the outside and the fleece on the inside, snug, work, sturdy and comfy. They have been gaining popularity over here with the endorsement of big name actors, musicians and, of course, the golden touch of Oprah Winfrey. They are an Aussie icon, a culture gift to the nations, a paragon of- ok, a little much, but they are really great.
Recently, however, an American corporation- Deckers Outdoor Corporation- bought out Ugg Holdings, an Aussie company. In a bold and down right nasty move, Decker now claims that they own the rights to the word "ugg" and are threatening to sue any and all Aussie companies or stores that use the "licenced" term.
Now, being unfamiliar with the ugg boot, let me clear this up a little- it would be like Ford trying to license the word "truck" and not letting any other car companies, dealers, etc. use it. Ugg is not a BRAND (like Kleenex or Band-Aid) it is a generic name referring to an object. In addition, it a linguistically and culturally recognized word (like tissue or bandage).
This is another really clear and brutal example of the arrogant and selfish actions of huge American Corporations. The matter isn't settled yet. People have tried and failed to license generic terms before, but it is going to take a fight. Lend a hand and write a letter or make a call to Deckers telling them what you think of this kind of business.
Any way you look at it, it is really Ugg-ly business.
Ugg boots are sheepskin boots with the leather on the outside and the fleece on the inside, snug, work, sturdy and comfy. They have been gaining popularity over here with the endorsement of big name actors, musicians and, of course, the golden touch of Oprah Winfrey. They are an Aussie icon, a culture gift to the nations, a paragon of- ok, a little much, but they are really great.
Recently, however, an American corporation- Deckers Outdoor Corporation- bought out Ugg Holdings, an Aussie company. In a bold and down right nasty move, Decker now claims that they own the rights to the word "ugg" and are threatening to sue any and all Aussie companies or stores that use the "licenced" term.
Now, being unfamiliar with the ugg boot, let me clear this up a little- it would be like Ford trying to license the word "truck" and not letting any other car companies, dealers, etc. use it. Ugg is not a BRAND (like Kleenex or Band-Aid) it is a generic name referring to an object. In addition, it a linguistically and culturally recognized word (like tissue or bandage).
This is another really clear and brutal example of the arrogant and selfish actions of huge American Corporations. The matter isn't settled yet. People have tried and failed to license generic terms before, but it is going to take a fight. Lend a hand and write a letter or make a call to Deckers telling them what you think of this kind of business.
Any way you look at it, it is really Ugg-ly business.
posted by Jamie at 1:19 p.m.
1 Comments:
Wow... you posted this 4 years ago, but i just came across it on the web while trying to figure out why Ugg keeps getting tackier and more generic looking styles made in China. I also discovered that there is still an Ugg factory Down Under that makes and sells the originals, at fair prices compared to the "bogus" (IMHO) ones.
Good for you for pointing this out, it's really disgusting and I'm glad you're floating around on google to spread the word.
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