Dupe Culture Thrives as UGG Patent Ruling Opens Door for Copycats
8 reported
A recent court ruling in a case between Deckers, the company behind UGG boots, and Quince over lookalike shearling boots has confirmed that "dupe culture" is a lasting commercial phenomenon, according to a Vox podcast report. The jury ruled that Quince had copied the UGG design, but also that the patent for the UGG boot should not have been issued because the design was too generic to protect. This decision allows Quince and other brands to produce similar boots, expanding the market for dupes. The report describes dupe culture as a commercial ecosystem offering cheaper alternatives to name-brand products, now widely embraced by influencers and companies like Quince. Social media and online shopping platforms, including Amazon and TikTok, have integrated features that make finding dupes easier, such as AI-powered reverse image searches. The report notes that while dupes were once embarrassing, they are now often viewed as a life hack, though some argue they can create an illusion of quality that does not always hold up.
What’s reported
Deckers, the company behind UGG boots, took Quince to court over lookalike boots and tried to bar Quince from referencing "dupe culture" at trial, but the bid failed.
The jury ruled that Quince copied the UGG design but that the patent should not have been issued because the design was too generic to protect.
The ruling opened the door for Quince and any other brand to make a similar-looking boot.
Dupe culture is described as a commercial ecosystem built around providing consumers cheaper alternatives to name-brand products.
Examples of duped items include makeup, Le Creuset Dutch ovens, Apple AirPods Max, Oura Ring fitness trackers, and the island of Santorini.
Amazon introduced a feature where users can write a text description and the platform uses AI to generate an image to find similar products.
TikTok has a feature that highlights products in videos and allows users to find similar-looking dupes on TikTok Shop.
Dupe.com allows users to paste a product URL for a reverse image search to find lookalikes.
Key figures
Mia Sato, senior reporter at The Verge
Sean Rameswaram, co-host of Today, Explained
Sources: vox.com
