This website is operated by Deckers Outdoor Corporation. Deckers is not affiliated in any way with Uggs-N-Rugs, Kenwick, Western Australia. If you are looking for Uggs-N-Rugs, Kenwick, Western Australia, type “uggs-n-rugs.com” into your browser.

History of UGG® Brand Sheepskin Products

Back in 1978, young Australian surfer Brian Smith introduced his UGG® brand sheepskin boots to the United States. He hit the streets armed with two-dozen pairs of his UGG sheepskin boots ready to make his “sheepskin to riches” story come true.

It was the crazy Californian surfers who first grasped the genius of these sheepskin boots - the incredible warmth and cozy comfort. His first season in business, Brian sold 48 pairs of boots. Through Brian’s passionate efforts the UGG brand steadily grew, spreading from the beaches of California to the ski slopes of the west, to Hollywood movie sets, and beyond. Today the business that Brian began is incorporated as Deckers Outdoor Corporation. Deckers Outdoor is known in the trade as UGG Australia.

UGG Australia has continued Brian’s efforts to build the UGG brand. UGG Australia’s substantial marketing efforts and expenditures have resulted in the international consumer recognition that the UGG brand currently enjoys. Today UGG footwear is sold from LA to London to Tokyo and all points in between. The range has also grown beyond boots to incorporate shoes, slippers, clogs, outerwear and handbags.

Celebrity of the UGG® Brand

UGG Australia began an innovative celebrity placement campaign more than 10 years ago. This campaign resulted in widespread popularity of the UGG brand with high-profile celebrities. UGG boots have been featured on television. Many Hollywood celebrities have been photographed by the paparazzi wearing UGG boots. These and other celebrities know and appreciate the high quality of genuine UGG brand boots.

The UGG^® Trademark

To protect our substantial investment in the UGG brand, Deckers has secured more than 45 registrations for the UGG mark covering 79 countries. Additional registrations are pending. These registrations offer the highest level of international protection for the UGG trademark and the goodwill it represents. The UGG trademark can only be used in connection with footwear, outerwear and handbags made by our company and our authorized licensees. Unauthorized use is prohibited by the laws of the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, China and other countries where Deckers has established trademark rights.

That’s good news for UGG customers. Anyone who appreciates the superior quality footwear, outerwear and handbags from the UGG range is guaranteed the genuine article - wherever they are in the world.

Our Competition

At Deckers Outdoor we welcome full and fair competition. Misleading the public is not fair competition; nor is exploiting the substantial efforts that Deckers has made to develop the widespread popularity of the UGG brand. If your company is a competitive footwear manufacturer, or a distributor or retailer of competitive sheepskin products, we require that you refrain from use of our UGG® trademark or deceptively similar marks. Instead, you must use your own trademark or a generic term, such as “sheepskin boots,” to refer to your products.

The Australian Trade Marks Office provides the following comment:

“The Internet provides easy access to global markets and takes no account of national borders. If you are trading on the Internet you need to understand the laws of the country into which you are selling goods or services. If you place an offer for sale on the Internet in Australia that invites purchase from overseas, this can amount to trading overseas and could leave you vulnerable to legal action and expensive litigation.”

Enforcing Our Rights

We at Deckers Outdoor Corporation are committed to protecting our trademarks and other intellectual property rights. Over the years we have taken legal action in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Korea against companies and individuals who infringe on our intellectual property. US courts have repeatedly recognized the ownership, validity and enforceability of the UGG trademark. We continually monitor the Internet and on-line auction sites such as e-Bay for infringements. Dozens of unlawful websites and thousands of auctions have been shut down. We will continue working to make sure that consumers who are looking to buy UGG® footwear, outerwear and handbags get what they believe they are buying – genuine UGG products.

A few competitors based in Australia have made a legally incorrect and potentially dangerous assertion that UGG is a generic term that others are free to use without permission. In a non-use proceeding before IP Australia (McDougall v. Deckers Outdoor Corporation), an Australian Trade Marks Office hearing officer opined on generic use of the terms “ugg, ugh and ug” in Australia. However, that non-use decision is not a judicial determination and has little if any value as legal precedent. Furthermore, trademarks are territorial – their validity is determined by each country under its own laws and based on consumer perceptions of the local population. Whether a trademark is generic in one country has no bearing on the validity of the mark in other countries. Accordingly, the use of UGG without permission, particularly on the Internet, is quite likely to deceive consumers and violate the laws of numerous countries where UGG is a registered trademark.

Below are links to several decisions that have upheld the validity of the UGG trademark, and have restrained unlawful acts of unfair competition:

Deckers Outdoor Corp. v. Bills Distribution,
No. FA0410000358035 (Nat. Arb. Forum) (UDRP)

UGG Holdings, Inc. v. Barclay,
No. FA0312000217320 (Nat. Arb. Forum) (UDRP)

UGG Holdings, Inc. v. Barclay,
No. FA0312000216873 (Nat. Arb. Forum) (USDRP)

UGG Holdings, Inc. v. Roussos,
No. FA0409000335441 (Nat. Arb. Forum) (UDRP)

UGG Holdings, Inc. v. Sharpe,
No. FA0401000227667 (Nat. Arb. Forum) (UDRP)

UGG Holdings, Inc. v. WebQuest.com, Inc.,
No. FA0409000335456 (Nat. Arb. Forum) (UDRP)

Proper Use of the UGG® Trademark

Consistent and uniform use of the UGG® trademark will help to preserve its distinctive identity. If you are a retailer selling genuine UGG brand products or a journalist writing about our products, please follow these simple rules:

· UGG® should always appear in capitals.

· Use the registered trademark symbol “®” whenever possible.

· UGG® is an adjective, not a noun. Please refer only to UGG® boots, UGG® shoes, UGG® slippers, UGG® footwear, UGG® outerwear, UGG® handbags or the UGG® brand. Never say “UGGs”.

· Always spell it UGG. Not UGH or UG.