CFDA incubator brand O'Neil faces legal battle over its name

By

Emily Jensen

Published
Jun 29, 2017

Thaddeus O’Neil’s namesake brand is embroiled in a lawsuit with surfwear company O’Neill, which is attempting to block the trademark of the designer’s brandname and logo.

 
Thaddeus O’Neil launched his namesake brand in 2013 and earned recognition in 2015 as a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue fund in 2015. Now a member of the CFDA and its Fashion Incubator Class of 2018 and still attempting to establish itself, the brand is facing legal troubles in attempting to trademark its name and logo.
 
The long-running California-based surfwear brand O’Neill is trying to block O’Neil’s trademark of his name “Thaddeus O’Neil” and his logo, which consists of a stylized inverted Venus symbol. If the surfwear company is successful, O’Neil will be forced to change his brand name and logo and cease production and sales of his current stock of clothing which display the name and logo.

The O’Neill brand was established in 1952 and is known for it mass market apparel for surfers. Thaddeus O’Neil’s line however is known for its high-end unisex apparel and is sold in stores such as Tomorrowland, American Rag and Ron Herman.
 
O’Neil is attempting to fight the lawsuit and maintain the right to use his name, having even met with the surfwear brand’s lawyers in California. However the brand is continuing its suit.
 
O’Neill’s founder Jack O’Neill passed away this month at the age of 94. The brand is headquartered in Santa Cruz, CA, and was acquired by a private European company in 2007.