In Australia, and many other countries as well, Ugg boots (also spelt ug and ugh) are a style of boots that has been used generically for well over a hundred years.
"It's like registering the name sneakers – it's a generic term that everyone uses."
Needless to say that the recent threats and legal harassment from UGG Holdings Inc. and its parent company Deckers Outdoor Corporation has threatened the livelihood of small business owners in Australia and manufactures, some who have been making ugg boots since 1933. Many of the Australian public are now boycotting all of Deckers' other lines including Simple, Teva, and of course UGG Australia which are now made in China.