Deckers Outdoor Corp. Wins Default Judgment in UGG Design Patent Case Against 50+ E-Commerce Sellers
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📋 Case Summary
| Case Name | Deckers Outdoor Corp. v. The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A |
| Case Number | 1:23-cv-16072 (N.D. Ill.) |
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois |
| Duration | Nov 2023 – Mar 2024 110 days |
| Outcome | Plaintiff Win — Default Judgment & $82,786 Damages |
| Patents at Issue | |
| Accused Products | Counterfeit UGG® comfort-leisure footwear |
Case Overview
The Parties
⚖️ Plaintiff
Parent company of the UGG® brand, globally recognized for its premium comfort-leisure footwear and active enforcer of design patent rights.
🛡️ Defendant
Unincorporated associations operating across Amazon, AliExpress, Walmart, Temu, and similar platforms selling infringing footwear.
The Patent at Issue
This case centered on **U.S. Design Patent No. D927,161** (Application No. 29/712,480), issued August 10, 2021, protecting the ornamental design of UGG® comfort-leisure footwear. Design patents protect the visual, non-functional appearance of a product, safeguarding distinctive aesthetic elements from imitation. The patent was registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
- • US D927,161 — Ornamental design of UGG® comfort-leisure footwear
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The Verdict & Legal Analysis
Outcome
The court entered **final default judgment** in favor of Deckers on **March 6, 2024**, after defendants failed to answer the complaint. The court granted **permanent injunctive relief** and **profit-based damages** under 35 U.S.C. § 289 totaling approximately **$82,786** across 30 named defendants. Asset freezes and fund releases were directed from major payment processors and marketplace platforms including PayPal, Amazon Pay, Alipay, Temu, Wish.com, DHgate, Etsy, Walmart, and eBay.
Key Legal Issues
The case reinforced several critical doctrines in e-commerce IP enforcement:
- **Personal Jurisdiction:** Established over foreign defendants actively targeting U.S. consumers (U.S.-facing storefronts, USD payments, U.S. shipping, sales to Illinois residents).
- **Liability:** Grounded in 35 U.S.C. § 271 (direct infringement), as defendants defaulted, no invalidity or non-infringement defenses were raised.
- **Damages:** Remedy invoked 35 U.S.C. § 289, allowing total profit disgorgement from sales of the infringing article without apportionment, a powerful remedy as affirmed in *Samsung Electronics Co. v. Apple Inc.* (2016).
- **Procedural Efficiency:** The 110-day resolution from filing to final judgment highlights the effectiveness of default judgment proceedings and electronic service for international defendants.
Freedom to Operate (FTO) Analysis
This case highlights critical IP risks in footwear design. Choose your next step:
📋 Understand This Case’s Impact
Learn about the specific risks and implications from this litigation.
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High Risk Area
Counterfeit Footwear Design
1 Related Design Patent
US D927,161 at issue
AI-powered Detection
For similar infringing designs
✅ Key Takeaways
Schedule A multi-defendant actions in the Northern District of Illinois remain a highly efficient design patent enforcement mechanism.
Search related case law →§ 289 total profit disgorgement eliminates apportionment complexity in design patent damages calculations.
Explore precedents →Electronic service combined with payment processor notice consistently satisfies due process for international defendants.
Understand service best practices →Frequently Asked Questions
The case involved **U.S. Design Patent No. D927,161**, protecting the ornamental design of UGG® premium comfort-leisure footwear, issued August 10, 2021.
All defendants failed to answer the complaint or appear in the litigation. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55, the court entered default and subsequently final default judgment, including permanent injunction and profit-based damages.
Section 289 entitles a design patent holder to recover the **infringer’s total profits** from sales of the infringing article, without apportionment — making it particularly powerful against high-volume online counterfeiters.
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References
- PACER — Case No. 1:23-cv-16072, N.D. Ill.
- USPTO Patent Full-Text Database — US Design Patent No. D927,161
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office — Design Patent Resources
- Cornell Legal Information Institute — 35 U.S.C. § 289
- Cornell Legal Information Institute — 35 U.S.C. § 271
- PatSnap — IP Intelligence Solutions for Law Firms
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. All case information is drawn from publicly available court records. For platform capabilities, visit PatSnap.