Columbia Sportswear Files Lawsuit Against Columbia University Over Trademark Concerns
For many years, apparel branded by Columbia Sportswear and merchandise featuring the name Columbia University coexisted without significant issues.
However, that changed when the outdoor retail giant based in Portland initiated legal action against the prestigious New York institution, citing allegations of trademark infringement and breach of contract, among other grievances.
Columbia Sportswear asserts that the university’s products are visually indistinguishable from those available in over 800 retail outlets, including more than 150 of its own stores, as well as its online platform and various third-party marketplaces.
The lawsuit, submitted on July 23 in the U.S. District Court in Oregon, claims that the university violated their agreement signed on June 13, 2023. This agreement specified how Columbia University could utilize the term "Columbia" on its apparel.
According to the contract, the university could use "Columbia" on its products only if accompanied by a recognizable school logo, the term “university,” the name of an academic department, or its founding year—1754—either individually or in combination.
Columbia Sportswear alleges that the university breached this stipulation about a year after signing, noting the presence of various garments on the university’s online store that lacked any university identifiers.
Part of the complaint points out that many garments carry a bright blue hue that closely resembles the distinctive blue traditionally associated with Columbia Sportswear.
The lawsuit includes images of university merchandise that only bear the Columbia name.
“The potential for deception and confusion stemming from the university’s misappropriation of the Columbia name is causing irreparable harm to the brand and goodwill represented by Columbia Sportswear’s registered trademark, alongside the quality it embodies,” the filing claims.
This litigation occurs amid Columbia University’s ongoing threats of losing substantial federal funding. Recently, the institution agreed to pay over $220 million to the federal government to reinstate previously canceled federal research funds tied to the fight against antisemitism on campus.
Under the terms of this agreement, the university will pay a settlement of $200 million over the span of three years.
Columbia Sportswear seeks to halt all sales of any infringing items, retrieve already sold merchandise, and donate the remaining items to charity. The company is also pursuing triple the actual damages that a jury may determine.
As of now, neither Columbia Sportswear nor Columbia University have publicly commented on the lawsuit.
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