A boxing equipment company filed a lawsuit against Duke last Friday, alleging that the University’s use of the phrase “Put Up Your Dukes” constituted trademark infringement and counterfeiting of the company’s trademark.
In the lawsuit, KDukesBoxing, which says it is the first premier Black-owned boxing gloves and equipment company, contends that Duke violated federal and state trademark law by using the phrase and wordmark in its marketing. Founded in 2016 in New York by former Marine Kevin Dukes, the company says it has used “Put Up Your Dukes” trademarks for more than nine years.
The lawsuit was filed May 29 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and seeks a jury trial, as well as a permanent injunction barring Duke from using the phrase, the destruction of all goods Duke currently possesses bearing the phrase and monetary damages for profits earned through the alleged infringement…