U.S. Polo Assn.

U.S. Polo Assn.
Subsidiary of the United States Polo Association
Industry Licensing
Retail
Founded United States 1890
Area served
 Worldwide
Products Apparel
Accessories
Eyewear
Footwear
Housewares
Luggage
Watches
Divisions THRE3
Website USPoloAssn.com

The U.S. Polo Assn. brand is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the governing body of the sport of polo in the United States. The Association's trademarks and logos registered worldwide are managed by USPA Properties, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the USPA. The brand incorporated in 1981.

USPA Properties, Inc. partners with licensees in North and South America,[1] Asia, Europe,[2] Scandinavia, Russia, and the Middle East[3] to provide consumers with branded apparel, accessories, luggage, watches, shoes, small leather goods, eyewear and home furnishings. Products are available in more than 135 countries [4] at independent retail stores, department stores and U.S. Polo Assn. brand stores.[5]

As a for-profit corporation, USPA Properties, Inc. pays taxes on its profits generated by sales from U.S. Polo Assn. products and pays royalties to the USPA for the exclusive rights to license its trademarks. Since incorporation in 1890, U.S. Polo Assn. has realized total global retail sales in excess of $1 billion. The royalties paid by USPA Properties, Inc. to the USPA enables them to promote the sport of polo and underwrite educational and training programs such as benefits for the Association's player members, support training centers for interscholastic and intercollegiate polo competition [6] and fund programs in umpiring, competition and equine welfare.

While having a similar looking logo to Polo Ralph Lauren, the brand competes more directly with Ralph Lauren's Chaps brand in terms of price, as well as with other similarly-priced brands such as Izod.

Litigation

In May 2011, it has been ruled that USPA cannot use the word “polo” in conjunction with its Double Horsemen mark on fragrances in reference to litigation with Polo Ralph Lauren.[7] The N.Y. federal judge said it is possible for the parties to engage in licensing activities that do not conflict with each other.

In October 2013, Ralph Lauren filed a case in a US district court against USPA and textile firm Arvind Ltd, which has the license to manufacture and market USPA branded products in India. In June 2015, Arvind Ltd settled the dispute by paying $3.2 million to the Ralph Lauren Corp. of the US. [8]

References

  1. ↑ LicenseMag.com. "U.S. Polo Assn. Inks Mexico Deal". June 24, 2011.
  2. ↑ Vagnozzi, Caternia. "U.S. Polo Assn.: vertire il polo". Chukker - The Magazine of Audi Polo Gold Cup Circuit 2011, February 21, 2011, p. 30.
  3. ↑ HurriyetDailyNews.com. "US Polo Assn opens new store in Istanbul". January 8, 2010.
  4. ↑ USPoloAssn.com. "About Our Brand". 2012.
  5. ↑ IndiaRetailing.com. "U.S. Polo Assn opens outlets in Delhi". February 21, 2011.
  6. ↑ US-Polo.org."Interscholastic/Intercollegiate Polo (I/I)". 2010.
  7. ↑ "Ralph Lauren trumps U.S. Polo Association over use of 'Polo' mark". Reuters. June 1, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  8. ↑ "Arvind Lifestyle and USPA agrees to enter into an amicable settlement with Ralph Lauren without admission of liability of any party". LiveMint. March 30, 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-21.

Sources

Spencer, Herbert. "Hot Property". Hurlingham Polo Association Magazine, Summer 2008, p. 41.

Vagnozzi, Caternia. "U.S. Polo Assn.: vertire il polo". Chukker - The Magazine of Audi Polo Gold Cup Circuit 2011, February 21, 2011, p. 30.

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