Polo Ralph Lauren has lost its bid to prevent the United States Polo Association and its merchandising partner, Jordache Ltd., from using logos that resemble its famous trademark of a horseman whacking a ball. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week refused to overturn a jury's 2005 finding that three out of four logos used by the Polo Association didn't infringe on Ralph Lauren's mark. The association logos feature two polo players on horseback, not one. They also have the lettering "USPA" beneath them.
A jury ruled that clothing buyers were unlikely to be confused into thinking they were buying Ralph Lauren shirts. The polo player symbol has appeared on Ralph Lauren clothing since 1972. The USPA was founded in 1890 and is the governing body for the sport in the United States. Jordache licensed the rights to USPA-branded clothing in 1998. Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. has been fighting with the Polo Association since the early 1980s over trademark issues and had won a previous suit over an earlier version of the logo. The Polo Association, is pleased with the ruling. "They have been working for many years now to vindicate their right to promote the sport and raise money for the sport using the symbol of people in an action shot playing the sport," said the USPA-lawyer, Friday. "We are hopeful that with this decision, we are putting the dispute with Ralph Lauren behind us and we will be able to coexist in the marketplace."(Sourced from yahoonews-AssociatedPress)
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