[Infowarrior] - Under Armour goes lawsuit-crazy

[Richard Forno]

Under Armour is suing pretty much every company using the name ‘Armor’

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2015/08/19/under-armour-is-suing-pretty-much-every-company-using-the-name-armor/

In 2013, a Bible-quoting high school football champ named Terrance Jackson, upset that most of the clothing options for his 3-year-old son were covered in skulls and crossbones, decided to start his own “inspirational apparel” company with a scripture-inspired name, Armor & Glory.

The family business hasn’t grown much since then, printing a few hundred shirts and spending nothing on marketing outside of a 1,500-fan Facebook page. But it recently received some major attention from America’s second-biggest sportswear empire, Under Armour, which demanded the small Maryland company change its name or face all-out legal war.

The trademark-infringement lawsuit filed this month in Maryland federal court has sparked a messy David-versus-Goliath battle in the fringes of American athletic wear and cast an unflattering spotlight on how fiercely the Baltimore-based giant intends to guard its brand and fight its way to the top.

But at a time when the fight for retail is getting tougher, the new lawsuit has also exposed just how messy protecting a trademark can get. Over the last year, Under Armour has taken aim at a series of companies mostly for using the word “Armor” in their names.

“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,” said Jackson, 37, who said the name came to him one morning, from “the full armor of God” cited in Ephesians 6:11. “When God gave this [name] to me, I never thought once about those guys. We don’t even spell it like them.”

In its lawsuit, Under Armour, the mega-brand whose “Protect This House” slogan and army of star athletes helped it sell more than $3 billion of sportswear last year, says Armor & Glory’s name “is likely to cause confusion, mistake and deception” as to the two companies’ connection, which would “dilute the distinctiveness” and “further damage and irreparably injure” Under Armour’s brand.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2015/08/19/under-armour-is-suing-pretty-much-every-company-using-the-name-armor/

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