Under Armour sues Bend startup in trademark dispute

(Update: Adding details, quotes)

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Retail giant Under Armour has sued a Bend-based family business in a trademark dispute over its name Cascade Armory, officials said.

Business owners Alex Short and his wife Diana received a cease-and-desist letter ahead of plans to open a retail front in Boise, Idaho, the Idaho Press-Tribune reported Monday.

Cascade Armory officially formed in 2017 selling flannel button-ups, hoodies and beanies in Bend, Oregon, the Shorts said. The company found immediate success after years of advertising through Myspace and word of mouth in college a few years ago.

Diana and the couple’s two children live in Oregon, while Alex splits his time between Boise and Bend, the Shorts said.

The Shorts filed to trademark the name Cascade Armory in 2018, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website. The process is now on hold because of the legal debate.

Under Armour cites trademark infringement, trademark dilution and brand confusion over name similarities, officials said.

“Their whole basis is that people are only buying our clothes because they are confused and think that we’re Under Armour. At this point, we hired lawyers, and even they said, ‘Well, this is ridiculous,'” Alex Short said.

The Shorts and their lawyer originally were open to negotiate, officials said.

“I told them, ‘I’ll rebrand, but you need to compensate me for what I’ve put into this,'” Alex Short said. “Just for rebranding, it would have been about $200,000. They came back with a counteroffer of $200.”

Under Armour’s patent lawyers told the Idaho Press to direct questions to the company’s corporate communications team, but a spokesperson on the team said company policy does not allow them to speak on ongoing litigation.

AP Only 2019