The McDougalls and Uggs-N-Ruggs have been featured in Australian media reports from 2005-2006 due to their tussle with Deckers Outdoor Corporation and their registered trademarks. In early 2006 Uggs-N-Rugs was successful in having the Australian trademarks for ug, ugh and ugg removed from the register for non-use. IP Australia (the Australian trade marks office) declared that the words are interchangeable and used generically to describe sheepskin boots.
The McDougalls and Uggs-N-Ruggs have been involved in a legal dispute with Deckers Outdoor Corporation over their trademarks for "ug," "ugh," and "ugg" since 2005, leading to the removal of these trademarks from the Australian register due to lack of use. The Australian trademark office has declared that these words are now generic terms for sheepskin boots.