A Black-owned boxing firm is going toe-to-toe with Duke University, accusing the college of utilizing its trademarked slogan, “Put Up Your Dukes,” with out permission or compensation.
OkDukesBoxing Inc., a boxing gear firm based by Marine Corps veteran Kevin Dukes, filed a lawsuit against the college on May 29, alleging trademark infringement and counterfeiting.
As first reported by The Duke Chronicle, the firm claims Duke has used the phrase on everything from stadium billboards and social media posts to T-shirts bought through its college shops.
Kevin Dukes Says His Boxing Brand Established Rights To The Slogan Years Before Duke University’s Campaign
Founded in New York in 2016, BOSSIP can confirm that OkDukesBoxing describes itself as a pioneering Black-owned boxing gloves and gear firm. Its founder, Kevin Dukes, has constructed the model around empowerment, variety, and inclusivity in boxing, while also championing causes including autism acceptance and most cancers consciousness.
Central to that identification is the phrase “Put Up Your Dukes,” a acquainted boxing expression that OkDukesBoxing says serves as a play on the founder’s last title.
The firm maintains that it has used the slogan for more than 9 years and holds two federal logos related with it.
The Chronicle reports that one trademark covers a distinctive brand that includes two boxing gloves positioned in an uppercut stance above the phrases “Put Up Your Dukes.” The second protects the phrase itself as a standard-character wordmark, which the firm utilized to register in 2017 and acquired registration for in 2019.
The Chronicle reports that the lawsuit alleges that Duke University was expressly notified of OkDukesBoxing’s trademark rights as early as October 2017, but continued utilizing the slogan in subsequent advertising efforts.
The college’s disputed promotional marketing campaign dates to August 2024, when Duke Athletics launched its Bull City brand as half of an initiative celebrating its connection to Durham, North Carolina.
Although the Bull City brand does not comprise the phrase “Put Up Your Dukes,” the college integrated the slogan into accompanying promotional supplies.
The phrase subsequently appeared on billboards all through Durham, social media posts, signage inside Wallace Wade Stadium, and T-shirts bought through Duke University Stores, according to The Chronicle.
OkDukesBoxing alleges that the college’s use of the slogan is confusingly comparable to its own branding and could lead shoppers to incorrectly affiliate the firm’s merchandise with Duke University.
OkDukesBoxing has requested a jury trial, financial damages tied to earnings allegedly earned through the disputed branding, and a everlasting injunction stopping Duke University from persevering with to use the phrase.
The firm is also asking the court docket to order the destruction of merchandise and other items in Duke’s possession bearing the disputed slogan.
According to the grievance, continued use of the phrase “threatens KDukesBoxing’s business reputation, customer relationships, and ability to benefit commercially from its own branding.”
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