By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation,
Columbia Sportswear is suing Columbia University in Oregon’s U.S. District Court over sweatshirts that bear only the word “Columbia,” alleging copyright infringement unfair competition and breach of contract. The lawsuit contends people will confuse the school’s shirts as referring to the sportswear company rather than the 184-year-old Ivy League educational institution. Columbia Sportwear was founded in 1938 in Portland. Columbia University, founded in 1754 in New York City, signed an agreement with the sportswear company in 2023 that let it sell such gear as long as it featured the word “university” or symbols representing the school such as a crown, a shield, or the lion mascot. But the university has since sold shirts, hats, and other items saying only “Columbia.”
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