Under attack

The use of logos is particularly important for sportswear, as often, a logo is the only trademark element by which you can recognise a sports brand. Adidas's three stripes and Nike's swoosh are good examples of this.

Under Armour's logo is also highly recognisable, and here, too, you sometimes only see the Under Armour logo and not the actual words Under Armour.

In addition to registering the brand name, it is a good idea to also register the combination of Under Armour and the logo and the logo separately. Under Armour has limited itself to registering the brand name and the logo separately.

This has still come in handy now that a German company has filed a similar logo for clothing in the European Union. Under Armour has now filed an objection to this. The opposition is yet to start.

Should this actually lead to a decision, it might be fun to bet on the 'winner' in advance. The products are identical, but are the trademarks similar? There are some observable differences, but we think that the trademarks make a similar overall impression. Under Armour is also convinced of this as it has not invoked the broader protection of its trademark as a ground for opposition. To be continued…….