Uggly Americans - Us Company Legs It With Australia's Cherished Boot
THEY'RE as Australian as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Uluru.But like Arnotts
, Vegemite and Hardy wines, the beloved Bottes UGG could soon be lost to the US in a move which threatens to destroy a 70-year-old industry.The move comes after US footwear company Deckers Corporation bought an Australian ugg boot company and registered the name ugg boots. Deckers, operating under the logo Ugg Holdings Inc, has forced one Australian manufacturer to be removed from E-Bay and has threatened to sue other local companies to stop them using the name ugg boots here and overseas.Dozens of other manufacturers and traders have been issued with the demand. Even the Macquarie Dictionary has been forced to acknowledge US ownership after Deckers threatened to sue unless it made mention of its association.Intellectual property and copyright lawyer Jane Owen said yesterday the issue first arose five years ago when Deckers sent Australian manufacturers a letter ordering them to stop selling their products in the US.The companies ignored the demand and now -- with the explosion in popularity of ugg boots, especially among the world's elite -- Deckers has again threatened to sue.But local manufacturers, determined to keep the boot Australian, have vowed to fight the move.Blue Mountains manufacturer Brian Iversen, whose family has made ugg boots since 1933, said yesterday local companies had never bothered to register the name " ugg boot " because the term was "generic".The thought of a US company now trying to claim the name was "a joke".
Mr Iversen, who runs Blue Mountains Ugg Boots at Faulconbridge, said at the heart of the dispute was Deckers' price for ugg boots. "They want to sell their UGG Soldes for $US350 a pair. I'm selling the equivalent in Australia for $120 and they're saying because of me it's ruining their business," he said."But that's only because they're charging 350 bucks for something they're paying 30 bucks for -- and they wouldn't be paying any more than that if it's made in China. "They would be making a 1000 per cent profit and they're trying to stop everyone else from selling them."Mr Iversen, whose father began the business, said he was determined to retain ugg boots. "We fought them off five years ago so what are we going to give up now for?" he said.
The latest chapter in the dispute began on December 23 when Deckers issued a letter explaining their copyright and ordering the Iversens to stop using the name ugg boots. But the family's legal team is confident they will beat the US giant.Ms Owen, who is representing the Iversens and another local manufacturer, said the copyright attempt was like trying to register the term "sandshoe"."The fact is all the traders in Australia seem to use it."Their humble beginningTHEY'VE become the must-have footwear for the millennium.But far from the glitz and glamour of super-models and rock stars, the humble Australian ugg boot traces its origins as far back as World War I.Local manufacturers say the first sheepskin boots, a thigh-high version called "fug- UGG Bottes ", were worn by Australian fighter pilots as early as 1917.
Ils sont aussi beaucoup plus une icne australienne que le Sydney Harbour Bridge et Uluru.But comme Arnotts, Vegemite et des vins de Hardy, la botte UGG aim pourrait bientt tre perdus pour les tats-Unis dans un mouvement qui menace de dtruire une industrie de 70 ans . Le mouvement vient aprs des chaussures de la socit Deckers Corporation a achet une compagnie australienne UGG boot et enregistr le nom de Ugg. Deckers, oprant sous le logo Ugg Holdings Inc, a forc un fabricant australien d'tre retir de E-Bay et a menac de poursuivre les compagnies othelocal pour qu'ils arrtent d'utiliser le nom ugg boots ici et overseas.Dozens d'autres fabricants et les commerants ont t dlivrs la demande. Mme le Dictionnaire Macquarie a t forc de reconnatre la proprit des tats-Unis aprs Deckers menac de poursuivre moins qu'il ne fait mention de son association.
La proprit intellectuelle et du droit d'auteur avocat Jane Owen a dclar hier le premier numro se pose il ya cinq ans lorsque Deckers envoy fabricants australiens une lettre leur ordonnant de cesser de vendre leurs produits dans les entreprises US.The ignor la demande et maintenant - avec l'explosion de la popularit de UGG bottes, en particulier parmi l'lite mondiale - Deckers a de nouveau menac de sue.But fabricants locaux, dtermins maintenir l'icne de l'Australie, ont jur de lutter contre les montagnes move.Blue fabricant Brian Iversen, dont la famille a fait ugg boots depuis 1933, a dclar socits locales d'hier n'avait jamais pris la peine d'enregistrer le nom de "boot ugg" parce que le terme a t "gnrique". L'ide d'une socit amricaine tente maintenant de demander le nom tait "une plaisanterie".
M. Iversen, qui dirige Blue Mountains Ugg Boots Faulconbridge, a dclar au cur du litige a t Deckers prix pour ugg boots. "Ils veulent vendre leurs bottes de $ US350 une paire. Je vends l'quivalent en Australie pour 120 $ et ils disent cause de moi, c'est ruiner leurs affaires, dit-il. "Mais ce n'est pas parce qu'ils sont de charge 350 dollars pour quelque chose qu'ils paient 30 dollars pour - et ils ne seraient UGG pas cher pas payer plus que s'il est fait en Chine." Ils feraient une 1000 par profits et cent ils essaient d'arrter tout le monde de les vendre. "M. Iversen, dont le pre a commenc l'entreprise, s'est dit dtermin conserver les bottes UGG." Nous les avons repousss il ya cinq ans alors, qu'allons-nous abandonner maintenant? dit-il.
Le dernier chapitre dans le conflit a dbut le Dcembre 23 lorsque Deckers a envoy une lettre expliquant leur droit d'auteur et ordonnant la Iversens de cesser d'utiliser le nom UGG boots.But quipe juridique de la famille est convaincue qu'ils battre les Etats-Unis giant.Ms Owen, qui reprsente l'Iversens et un autre fabricant local, a dclar la tentative du droit d'auteur a t comme si on essayait d'enregistrer le terme "sandshoe". "Le fait est que tous les oprateurs en Australie semblent mieux s'en servir." BeginningsTHEY'VE humble Boot est devenu le must-have pour les chaussures millennium.But loin du faste et le glamour des super-modles et les stars du rock, la botte UGG humble australienne traces de ses origines d'aussi loin que les fabricants Premire guerre mondiale locaux affirment que les bottes en peau de mouton d'abord, une version haute-cuisse appel "fug-bottes, ont t ports par les pilotes de chasse Australie ds 1917.
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