Ralph Lauren’s Polo logo has become so synonymous with his brand that the U.S. Polo Association has been denied the right to use a horseman logo in marketing its own products.
In a lawsuit filed in November, the USPA claimed that Ralph Lauren was ‘attempting to monopolize the depiction of the sport of polo’.
But federal judge Robert Sweet failed to find favour with the organisation, ruling that the USPA’s double horseman marque would cause ‘customer confusion’ when used with the word ‘polo.’
AdvertisementHe noted that the first Polo Ralph Lauren fragrance went on sale in 1978, and that the logo and the words have been used in tandem in the company’s branding ever since.
He said: ‘There is…clearly room in our vast society for both the USPA parties and the PRL [Polo Ralph Lauren] parties to engage in licensing activities that do not conflict with one another, and nothing contained in this opinion should be construed as precluding such activities.
(Source: The Daily Mail-UK)