Heartbreaking update of iconic Australian company “UGG” – as owners send messages to loyal customers
The owners of iconic Australian family businesses have unveiled the pressure on the ongoing legal battle with U.S. footwear publishers.
Since 1974, UGG has been forced to remove “Ugg” from its name after Deckers Outdoor Corporation purchased the rights from entrepreneur Brian Smith.
The businessman registered the name in the United States in the 1970s, and was launched by an Australian couple around the same time.
Incumbent owner Tod Watts announced that despite legal proceedings still in progress, the company handed it to its social media account “UGG since 1974” nearly a year after the complaint.
“Things here are really stressful for us. The lawsuit is still ongoing, which is tough for a small family business. ” he said.
“Some of the huge news we have given you is that Meta has restored its Facebook and Instagram accounts where UGG is located since 1974.
“The accounts have been banned for nearly 12 months due to complaints from our U.S. competitors, deleting our voices to our Australian and New Zealand followers.”
The Australian Daily Mail has contacted Deckers for comment.
The owner of the Australian family business “since 1974” Tod Watts (pictured) said that after a U.S. company purchased the rights, their brand was the one that removed the “UGG” from its name.
Deckers Outdoor Corporation owns trademarks of UGG in more than 25 countries in Australia or New Zealand, meaning sellers cannot call them overseas names
Arthur and Faye Watts began hand-made sheepskin products in a shed in a coastal town in New South Wales, where they quickly gained popularity.
Their grandson Todd, who has acquired UGG since the 1974s, now owns and runs the company on the Gold Coast with his wife Hannah.
He revealed that the company was sued by Deckers in January this year.
“We also own the trademark of Boot Origin in Australia and New Zealand – the Origin of Ug Butt,” he said.
“However, Deckers’ lawsuit makes it hard for us to share our stories and boots with everyone else in the world.
“It’s hard to litigate with a multi-billion dollar company, especially as a family business, a manufacturing Australian business.”
Mr Watts said they decided to convert the brand to boots “from 74” due to the lawsuit.
Since 1974, in Australia and New Zealand, the brand will still be called UGG.
Since 1974, UGG was founded by a 1970s New South Wales couple who handmade sheepskin products in a shed (UGG store in Las Vegas)
Deckers sells boots under the “UGG” trademark in the United States and sells the “UGG brand” in the middle, with a larger font “G” in the middle.
It had in the past thought that Americans did not use “ugg” as a descriptive term, but only used as brand names.
The company is recognized in brands including Hoka and Teva, owns UGG trademarks in more than 25 countries but does not own trademarks in Australia or New Zealand.
This means that for decades, manufacturers from both countries have been banned from describing UGG boots as “Ugg Boots” overseas.
