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I designed our company logo by incorporating the two first letters of our name (W and M) and then put a circle around it. We chose a teal color that was pulled directly from the color of a lake we visited. It was by chance that the W and M happened to be reminiscent of mountains.

It's been brought to our attention that Marmot's logo may be too similar and that we should consider changing ours before it turns into a lawsuit at some point. It doesn't look similar to me, but then again I am very attached to our logo and have no clue where we would go from here. I'm looking for objective opinions.

Our company manufactures yoga apparel (specifically leggings) with crossover appeal amongst many sports (outdoors included). Marmot manufactures mainly technical outdoor gear like outerwear and sleeping bags so not exactly the same market but similar.

TIA!

Our logo by itself: ![enter image description here

Marmot's logo: enter image description here

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    In that you are both in the same industry (clothing) that certainly opens you up to the possibility of lawsuits more so than if you weren't in the same industry. But we can't tell you if it is or isn't close enough to be considered infringement. Only a court could tell you that. We could say, however, that it's close enough that I'd suggest rethinking it before you invest too much in it. Better to change it now voluntarily than later in a bind. – DA01 Jan 8 '16 at 5:27
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    This is a great question for a copyright lawyer in your country of origin. – Vincent Jan 8 '16 at 11:35
  • As with the other commentators, this is a legal question better asked to a capable and practicing legal adviser in your region. – bemdesign Jan 8 '16 at 12:37
  • It is close enough for them to start litigation. If it's close enough for you to lose the case is up to a judge or a jury. You could ask them for permission, but if they say no and you still use the logo your case will be worse than if you'd never asked. – Peter Jan 8 '16 at 16:02
  • Thanks for the feeback. Our attorney is looking into it. In my eyes, it's not similar at all but as the creator I am probably looking at it differently than someone not attached to it. Our attorney's first impression was that it was too close but at the same time there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of companies around here with mountains in their logos because we live in a mountainous area. Kind of like a surf company having a wave in their logo. Waiting to hear back from our attorney after she does more research. Thanks for your feedback. – MountainDahlia Jan 8 '16 at 17:21
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I would redesign the logo altogether if I were you. I can only assume that you didn't spend too much money on the logo, so it would be cheaper to hire a logo designer than to get into litigation with a large company.

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That is a tough one, but it does look quite similar. Like @peter said, you can try it, but be ready for lawsuits. Here's a link to another similar dispute: Disney vs Deadmau5

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I kind of hate to even suggest this, because I really do like your design. But removing the circle-ness (or some other similar alteration) might well get you off the hook. The rim of the circle seems to emphasise the counter space, which is what Marmot is doing too. Whereas, without completing the circle, the counter space is just a break that could symbolise upward travel.

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