A Chinese court has ruled in favor of Under Armour in the brand's case against Uncle Martian, a bizarrely named company that emerged last year with logos and sneaker designs ripped directly from Under Armour. Per the Baltimore-based sportswear company's law firm, the People’s Higher Court of Fujian Province ordered Uncle Martian to stop using the contested trademarks on June 19, 2017.
The law firm, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP, issued a press release on the ruling on Thursday that also mentions that Uncle Martian has been ordered to "destroy all infringing products, pay approximately $300,000 in damages, and publish a statement to 'eliminate the adverse effect of Uncle Martian’s infringement.'"
Under Armour filed the $15 million suit against Uncle Martian in June 2016 and had an injunction in its favor issued in November. Its battle may not be totally over just yet; though—the Uncle Martian team has appealed the case.
How blatant were Uncle Martian's imitations of Under Armour products? One promo image featured the sneakers of prominent Under Armour endorser Steph Curry with the Uncle Martian logo on them.
Other sportswear brands have struggled to protect their trademarks in China, where the government has not traditionally been of great help. Michael Jordan famously fought for years against Qiaodan, a brand literally named after him that frequently borrows his designs.
