COOGI Files Suit Against The Brooklyn Nets Over Biggie Smalls Tribute Jerseys

COOGI calls a technical on two trademarked patterns.

Sitting tight in the sixth slot of the Eastern Conference, The Brooklyn Nets aren't much to see in their current form. But that doesn't appear to have deterred the Australian brand from attempting to collect on the use of their iconic patterns.

According to CBS Sports, COOGI has filed suit against the Nets, Nike, and New Era, for plagiarizing their "Pea Soup" and "Ricotta" patterns in the tributary "Brooklyn Camo" kits, inspired by Brooklyn hip-hop giant, The Notorious B.I.G.. The suit alleges that Nets' use of COOGI's designs was blatant and that ads for "COOGI  Brooklyn Nets" and “Brooklyn COOGI" Google searches were bought by an unspecified party in the suit to intentionally redirect prospective COOGI customers to Nets memorabilia and apparel. In a statement to the New York Times, league spokesman, Michael Bass, fired back. "There is no merit whatsoever to their claims" said Bass on behalf of the organization, as Nike and Nets reps remain tight-lipped.

The NBA's intellectual property counsel, Michael Potenza, claims the league was granted the Wallace Estate's blessing for using the rapper's name, adding that he did not believe the Brooklyn Nets uniform design confused consumers and that it would be difficult to prove COOGI's claims under current trademark infringement case law.