Under Armor Wins $300,000 in Lawsuit Against Chinese Knockoff Brand
By Kyle Encina
A Chinese knockoff brand known as Uncle Martian is being ordered to pay Under Armour a large sum for copyright infringement.
Popular sports brand Under Armour has been tenacious in taking legal action against the Chinese sportswear startup whose logo is uncannily similar.
Since last year, Under Armour has been targeting a brand they deem as a “serious concern” and “blatant infringement,” according to Shanghaiist.
“Under Armour is aware of the Uncle Martian launch event,” said in a statement back in May 2016. “Uncle Martian’s uses of Under Armour’s famous logo, name, and other intellectual property are a serious concern and blatant infringement. Under Armour will vigorously pursue all business and legal courses of action.”
The legal battle between Under Armour and Uncle Martian has now come to a conclusion.
Uncle Martian’s parent company, Tingfeilong Sporting Goods, has been ordered to pay Under Armour 2 million yuan ($300,000), according to a court ruling in Fujian. In addition, the Chinese knockoff brand was ordered to destroy all infringing products.
To top off Under Armour’s victory, Uncle Martian is also ordered to release a statement to “eliminate the adverse effect” of the brand’s infringement.
Tingfeilong Sporting Goods is a 26-year-old shoe manufacturer that hoped to take advantage of Under Armour’s success in China. The company launched their Uncle Martian brand, which featured a logo that clearly resembles Under Armour’s famous emblem, in the hopes of capturing the sports market in their region as well.
It’s not just clothing brands and accessories that are being commonly counterfeited by Chinese companies. According to Builder, bathroom fixtures are also prone to being targeted by Chinese knockoff brands. It’s been such a common practice that there’s even an awards show called Plagiarus that is aimed at exposing these counterfeit products.
With all the crackdown on Chinese counterfeits occurring, it’s hard to see how these knockoff brands manage to surface despite the serious risks involved. Not to mention the significantly large amounts of money these Chinese brands could get fined with.
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