|
In
a lawsuit filed July 23 in the U.S. District Court for the
District of Oregon, Columbia Sportswear, whose roots date back
to 1938, alleges that the Ivy League university intentionally
violated an agreement the parties signed on June 13, 2023. That
agreement dictated how the university could use the word
“Columbia” on its own apparel and accessories.
As part of the pact, the university could feature “Columbia” on
its merchandise provided that the name included a recognizable
school insignia or its mascot, the word “university,” the name
of the academic department or the founding year of the
university — 1754 — or a combination.
Columbia Sportswear clothing is sold at more than 800 retail
locations including more than 150 of its branded stores as well
as its website and third-party marketplaces.
But Columbia Sportswear alleges the university breached the
agreement a little more than a year later, with the Portland,
Oregon-based company noticing several garments without any of
the school logos being sold at the Columbia University online
store.
Many of the garments feature a bright blue color that is
“confusingly similar” to the blue color that has long been
associated with Columbia Sportswear, the suit alleged.
The lawsuit offered photos of some of the Columbia University
items that say only Columbia.
“The likelihood of deception, confusion, and mistake engendered
by the university’s misappropriation and misuse of the Columbia
name is causing irreparable harm to the brand and goodwill
symbolized by Columbia Sportswear’s registered mark Columbia and
the reputation for quality it embodies,” the lawsuit alleged.
The lawsuit comes at a time when Columbia University has been
threatened with the potential loss of billions of dollars in
government support.
Last week, Columbia University reached a deal with the Trump
administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal
government to restore federal research money that was canceled
in the name of combating antisemitism on campus.
Under the agreement, the Ivy League school will pay a $200
million settlement over three years, the university said.
Columbia Sportswear aims to stop all sales of clothing that
violate the agreement, recall any products already sold and
donate any remaining merchandise to charity. Columbia Sportswear
is also seeking three times the amount of actual damages
determined by a jury.
Neither Columbia Sportswear nor Columbia University could be
immediately reached for comment.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
