Duke University Hit With Trademark Suit Over ‘Put Up Your Dukes’

June 1, 2026, 4:16 PM UTC

Duke University’s “Put Up Your Dukes” logo introduced in 2024 allegedly infringes a Black-owned boxing equipment company’s registered trademark according to a new lawsuit.

KDukesBoxing Inc. owns two federal registrations for “PUT UP YOUR DUKES"—one for shirts and another stylized version for shirts and boxing gloves—according to the complaint filed May 29 in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Duke used the mark on stadium billboards, social media posts, highway billboards, and merchandise sold through its online store, KDukesBoxing said.

KDukesBoxing was founded in 2016 by Kalvin Dukes, a Marine Corps veteran who designed boxing gloves ...

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