Lululemon registers trademark name 'LULULEMON DUPE'

In an unexpected move, Lululemon Athletica Inc. has secured a trademark application for the name ‘LULULEMON DUPE’ from the US Patent and Trademark Office, highlighting a probable change in how the athletic brand tackles copycats.

The Canadian brand secured the trademark on October 21, as first reported by The Fashion Law, after filing to register ‘LULULEMON DUPE’ in December 2024 for retail and advertising services linked to apparel, footwear, yoga, and athletic accessories. 

Following the trademark securement, which was initially filed on an intent-to-use basis and then updated to 44(e) (filing based on the ownership of a foreign registration from the Benelux), many are now speculating how Lululemon will use it.

Some believe that Lululemon acquired the trademark as a preemptive effort to stop other third parties and copycat brands from using the trademark in marketing or sales. How? Lululemon’s registration for ‘LULULEMON DUPE’ comes not long after the brand secured another trademark registration for ‘DUPE SWAP’ to be used in relation to its retail stores and online retail services connected to apparel, footwear, headwear, yoga and athletic accessories, back in August this year.

TFL speculated that Lululemon is now looking for a way to take back the term “dupe” and use it as a brand asset and as a way to reach new customers. The trademark applications come after Lululemon hosted an LA pop-up in 2023, where the brand invited customers to come and trade copycat or fake Lululemon leggings for real Align leggings, attracting around 1,000 customers. 

Alice Denenberg, a US and International Trademark Counsel, shared on LinkedIn that she believes that Lululemon aims to use trademark registrations more as a strategic enforcement than brand marketing. Noting that Lululemon’s trademark registration is based on a foreign Benelux registration, she noted that it is very unlikely that the brand will sell or market any products under the trademark in the US. 

Denenberg added that trademark tests the limits of foreign registration rules to gain enforcement leverage over the term ‘dupe’ on social media and against third-party sellers, though the registration’s validity could be challenged given Lululemon’s Canadian origins and the questionable basis for using a Benelux registration without clear evidence of commercial establishment there.

The trademarks come as Lululemon continues to legally fight dupers, including third-party sellers and giants like Costco. The Canadian brand is also not alone in its innovative move against copyright infringement, as fellow Canadian women’s wear brand Aritzia filed for a trademark application for ‘ARITZIA DUPE’ in March 2025.