广东省贸易摩擦应对综合服务平台
（海外知识产权）

“While enforcing trademark rights internationally is crucial, companies should also consider potential consumer backlash, and whether litigation should be the first enforcement option pursued.”

“尽管在全球范围内行使商标权至关重要，但企业也需权衡潜在的消费者抵触情绪，并审慎评估是否应将诉讼作为维权的首要手段。”

The recent case of Deckers Outdoor Corp. v. Wolverine Group Pty Ltd. serves as a cautionary tale for brand owners on the importance of pursuing foreign trademark protection early and often. The case revolves around who can use the term “UGG.” For many in the United States and other parts of the world, “UGG” is widely recognized as a specific brand of sheepskin boots. However, in Australia, “UGG” is a generic term referring to a style of sheepskin boots rather than a specific brand. As a generic term, “UGG” is not entitled to trademark protection in Australia, allowing any company within the country to use it freely.

近期德克斯户外公司诉沃尔弗林集团案（Deckers Outdoor Corp. v. Wolverine Group Pty Ltd.）为品牌所有者敲响警钟：尽早、持续布局海外商标保护至关重要。该案围绕谁可以使用 “UGG ”一词展开。对于美国和世界其他地区的许多人来说，“UGG ”被广泛认为是一种特定品牌的羊皮靴。然而在澳大利亚，'UGG' 被视为商品通用名称，仅指代一类羊皮靴款式，而非特定品牌。根据商标法原则，通用名称不得注册为商标，因此澳大利亚本土企业均可自由使用该术语。

In 1985, Australian surfer Brian Smith founded the company that would later become internationally known as UGG in the United States. Ten years later, Smith sold the company to Deckers Outdoor Corporation, which began securing international trademark rights for the term “UGG.” Today, Deckers owns the trademark for UGG in over 130 countries, including the United States, Canada and much of Europe. They also own several registrations in Australia for goods that are not boots, such as throws, cell phone cases and pet products.

1985 年，澳大利亚冲浪运动员布莱恩-史密斯创立了 UGG 公司。十年后，史密斯将公司卖给了德克斯户外用品公司，后者开始获得 “UGG ”一词的国际商标权。如今，Deckers 在包括美国、加拿大和欧洲大部分地区在内的 130 多个国家拥有 UGG 商标。他们还在澳大利亚拥有一些非靴子商品的注册商标，如毛毯、手机套和宠物用品。

Since acquiring the brand, Deckers has been engaged in a decades-long legal battle with Australian manufacturers regarding the use of the term “UGG” outside of Australia and New Zealand. One of the most recent and notable disputes involved UGG Since 1974, an Australian company that had been selling boots under the UGG name. Following prolonged litigation with Deckers, UGG Since 1974 announced that it would rebrand as “Since 74” for international sales.

自收购该品牌以来，Deckers 一直与澳大利亚制造商就在澳大利亚和新西兰以外使用 “UGG ”一词的问题进行了长达数十年的法律斗争。最近的一起著名纠纷涉及 UGG Since 1974，这是一家以 UGG 名称销售靴子的澳大利亚公司。在与 Deckers 的长期诉讼之后，UGG Since 1974 宣布将重新命名为 “Since 74”，用于国际销售。

In changing their name, they added the following disclaimer in the footer of their website: “UGG Since 1974™ has no affiliation with UGG®. Our boots are made in Australia, from 100% genuine sheepskin. For customers shopping outside Australia and New Zealand, your products will be labelled Since 74™ given trademark issues.” They also published a blog post explaining the name change and the company’s ongoing dispute with Deckers.

在更名的同时，他们还在网站页脚添加了以下免责声明：“UGG Since 1974™ 与 UGG® 没有任何隶属关系。我们的靴子在澳大利亚制造，100% 纯羊皮。对于在澳大利亚和新西兰以外购物的客户，鉴于商标问题，您的产品将被标注为 Since 74™。他们还发表了一篇博文，解释了名称变更以及公司与 Deckers 正在进行的纠纷。

This case is just one of many that Deckers has pursued against Australian companies using the term “UGG” internationally, with others including Australian Leather and Emu Australia. The ongoing legal battles underscore the necessity and benefits of securing trademark protection beyond a company’s home jurisdiction.

这只是 Deckers 针对在国际上使用 “UGG ”一词的澳大利亚公司提起的众多诉讼之一，其他诉讼还包括 Australian Leather 和 Emu Australia。持续不断的法律诉讼凸显了公司在本国司法管辖区以外获得商标保护的必要性和好处。

The Importance of Global Trademark Protection

全球商标保护的重要性

Securing a trademark in a company’s home country is only the first step in brand protection, and businesses must consider international trademark protection to obtain full protection of their brand. Companies that delay filing for international trademarks risk third parties registering the mark in foreign jurisdictions, leading to costly legal battles or loss of brand exclusivity.

在公司所在国获得商标保护只是品牌保护的第一步，企业必须考虑国际商标保护，以获得对其品牌的全面保护。若企业延迟布局国际商标注册，可能面临第三方在海外法域抢注商标的风险，进而引发高昂诉讼成本，甚至永久丧失品牌独占性。

When developing an international trademark strategy, it is important to consult and confer with foreign counsel. One cannot look at a company’s home country trademark laws to determine protection abroad. Trademark laws vary greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and the protectability of a mark in one jurisdiction does not have much impact on its ability to be protected elsewhere. Consulting with foreign trademark counsel is crucial to navigating the complexities of local trademark law and determining the protectability of a mark in that jurisdiction.  As discussed below, one can only wonder how the Deckers trademark dispute with the various Australian “UGG” sellers would have panned out had one of them consulted with a U.S.-based attorney prior to 1985, who could have advised them that the Australian genericness analysis may have played out differently in the United States.

在制定国际商标战略时，与外国法律顾问进行磋商和协商非常重要。我们不能仅凭公司所在国的商标法来确定海外保护。不同司法管辖区的商标法差异很大，商标在某一司法管辖区的可保护性对其在其他司法管辖区的保护能力影响不大。咨询外国商标法律顾问对于驾驭复杂的当地商标法和确定商标在该司法管辖区的可保护性至关重要。如下文所述，我们不禁要问，如果德克斯公司（Deckers）与澳大利亚 “UGG ”销售商之间的商标纠纷中，有一方在1985年之前咨询过美国律师，那么结果会如何，因为美国律师可能会告诉他们，澳大利亚的通用性分析在美国可能会有不同的结果。

While global trademark registration may not be financially feasible for all companies initially, it is a necessary long-term investment. As the brand grows it is important to obtain international protection to avoid companies in other countries taking advantage of the goodwill of a foreign brand. Businesses should prioritize international filings as their brand grows and spread out the filing costs by making it an ongoing action item in business planning and board meetings.

虽然全球商标注册最初在经济上不一定对所有公司都可行，但却是一项必要的长期投资。随着品牌的成长，必须获得国际保护，以避免其他国家的公司利用外国品牌的商誉。随着品牌的成长，企业应优先考虑国际申请，并将其作为业务规划和董事会会议的一项持续行动项目，以分摊申请成本。