Not Famous Enough? Navajo Nation Loses Urban Outfitters Case
The largest tribe in the United States could not prove it was “famous” enough to win a trademark case against the hipster fashion giant.
The Navajo Nation lost two counts in a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Urban Outfitters because the tribe’s trademark is not “famous” enough, the court siding with the fashion giant’s argument that “Navajo” is a generic term for a style or design.
The Indigenous tribe—the largest in the United States—had to prove that the term “Navajo” is “widely recognized by the general consuming public of the United States” to move forward with the trademark dilution case, which few courts have been able to prove, said New Mexico’s District Judge Bruce Black on Friday.
“New Mexico Judge Black says the “Navajo” trademark is more of a niche and not recognized as a household name in the United States.”
The biggest tribe in the US is a “niche”… If that doesn’t put things into perspective as how Natives are seen I don’t know what does…
This is ridiculous.
