Columbia Sportswear has filed a lawsuit against Columbia University over product similarity

• Columbia Sportswear accuses Columbia University of breaching the agreement.
• The lawsuit concerns the similarity of clothing that may cause confusion.
• The university is threatened with a payout of 220 million dollars for the canceled financial support.

The company Columbia Sportswear has filed a lawsuit against Columbia University, accusing it of breaching its rights to trade and contract. The lawsuit, filed on July 23 in federal court for the District of Oregon, concerns the similarity of the university's clothing to products from Columbia Sportswear, which has been in existence since 1938.

Along with the lawsuit, the university began selling products that bear the name "Columbia," without the required school logos or other recognizable marks that would differentiate the agreement, signed on June 13, 2023. According to this agreement, using the name "Columbia" on the university's products was only permitted when accompanied by the logo, the word "university" or the year of establishment.

Columbia Sportswear asserts that the university has violated this agreement by promoting clothing that does not comply with these conditions. The company also noted that the university promotes products in a bright blue color, which resembles the blue tint associated with their brand.

The company plans to cease sales of all products that breach the agreement, recalling products already sold and donating leftovers to charity. In the event of a successful lawsuit, Columbia Sportswear will also demand triple damages for actual losses.

This lawsuit was filed at a time when Columbia University is preparing to pay more than 220 million dollars to the U.S. government for the restoration of financial support, previously canceled due to a conflict with anti-Semitism on campus.

Tags: USA