Columbia Sportswear has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Columbia University, alleging that the school violated an agreement governing the use of the word “Columbia” on its merchandise. The Portland-based retailer, which has held a trademark for “Columbia” since 1996 for clothing goods, claims the university sold apparel without including the required identifiers, such as the word “University”, a recognizable school insignia, the name of an academic department, or the institution’s founding year. These requirements had been established as conditions for authorizing the University to sell such merchandise.
Columbia Sportswear contends that the university breached the agreement in 2024, and ignored efforts to reach an amicable resolution.
Therefore, the company is seeking a jury trial, a cease of all the sales of the disputed merchandise, the donation of remaining stock, and treble damages. Columbia University has not issued any comment on the lawsuit.
