Brooklyn Nets Sued By Coogi Over City Uniform Design

The Brooklyn Nets are being sued by Coogi for their City Edition uniform design.

According to a report in the New York Post, Coogi filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Manhattan Federal Court naming the Nets, Nike, and the NBA all responsible for using their copyrighted patterns on the uniform.

Brooklyn’s “City Edition” uniform incorporated a multi-coloured pattern which they called “Brooklyn Camo”, the uniform was presented as “Biggie-Inspired” upon its release back in October 2018. “Biggie”, referring to late rapper Notorious B.I.G., frequently wore the Coogi-pattern in the 1990s and incorporated the company’s name into song lyrics.

“The uniform’s multi-colour ‘Brooklyn Camo’ pattern represents the cultural diversity in the borough”, the Nets said at the time of the unveiling. “[Brooklyn] is home to people of all races, religions, and ethnicities, who have one important unifying trait – Brooklyn swagger.”

From the New York Post:

“[The defendants] were well aware that Biggie neither wore nor rapped about anything called ‘Brooklyn Camo,” the lawsuit reads. “But they created, marketed and sold and distributed ‘Brooklyn Camo’ products so as to confuse consumers about the connection between their goods… and Coogi.”

The Nets have worn the uniform in question a dozen times since their debut on November 17th, the most recent game was last Thursday against Portland. They’re still scheduled to wear them again tomorrow against Charlotte, we’ll see if that still happens with all this going on around it.