Under Armour orders indie brand to change its logo

Sports apparel brand Under Armour has sent a cease and desist notice to independent streetwear brand Vice Lair over an alleged similar logo design. While brand design disputes are nothing new, it's disheartening to see small businesses being targeted by large, established brands, making the industry feel evermore hostile for newcomers.

Seeking the opinion of designers on Reddit, Vice Lair's owner questioned whether the cease and desist complaint was likely to escalate to a full-scale legal case. The question divided Redditors, with many staunchly in support of the small business, while others pointed to Under Armour's previous success in similar trademark disputes.

Under Armour sent my small clothing brand a cease-and-desist over my logo. Do you think these are actually confusingly similar? from r/graphic_design

The cease and desist from Under Armour alleges that Vice Lair's logo is too similar to its trademarked identity, claiming that "This use is likely to cause consumers to mistakenly believe that such products are made by Under Armour or, at the very least, are associated with, or licensed or approved by Under Armour."

Vice Lair's logo features a barbed-wire-inspired graphic, while Under Armour's logo features an interlocking 'U' and 'A' motif. Redditors highly contested the alleged similarities, but the official notice states that the design bears an "undeniable similarity," likely to cause confusion given the "fame of Under Armour's marks".

"No. Your logo has unique proportions, curves, and a differentiating connection. Your logo looks sharp and angular; theirs looks smooth and planted. Even from a distance, it looks different," one fan wrote in defence of Vice Lair.

"Would not risk. Like at all. Under Armour sued a bunch of companies for having Armour in the name, like “Armorina” and won… when you look it’s Trademark, it lists a ‘mark that consists of stylized letters “U” and “A”’. This fits that brief and could lose you way too much money to even want to fight this," another advised.

For more design disputes, take a look at Ferrari's logo battle with an unexpected opponent, or check out these iconic brands with ridiculously similar logos.