So, you’re walking through a Meijer supercenter, maybe grabbing some milk or a rotisserie chicken, and you wander into the kids' clothing section. You see a new line of joggers and hoodies called "Roots & Threads." If you're from Michigan or spent any time in Canada, your brain immediately pings. "Oh, is this that fancy Canadian brand Roots?"
That split-second mental connection is exactly why one of Canada’s most iconic retailers dragged Meijer into federal court.
Honestly, trademark law sounds like a snooze-fest until you realize it’s basically just high-stakes corporate drama over who gets to own a word. In this case, the Roots Meijer trademark dispute became a masterclass in how "private labels"—those store-specific brands like Meijer’s "Roots & Threads"—can accidentally (or intentionally) step on the toes of established giants.
The Battle Over "Roots & Threads"
The whole mess started in 2024. Meijer, the Michigan-based retail giant with over 500 stores, decided it wanted a piece of the lucrative children's apparel market. They came up with a name: Roots & Threads. It sounds cozy, right? Earthy. Great for back-to-school gear.
They filed for a trademark. But the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) wasn't having it.
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An examining attorney at the USPTO issued a "non-final refusal" almost immediately. Why? Because the word "Roots" is a heavy hitter. The government basically told Meijer, "Hey, there’s already a huge company called Roots Corporation that sells clothes, and people are going to get confused."
Meijer didn't back down right away. They pushed forward with the 2025 back-to-school launch anyway. That’s when the lawyers in Toronto—the home of the original Roots—decided they’d had enough.
Why Roots (The Canadian One) Was So Mad
Roots Corporation isn’t just some random clothing brand. Founded in 1973, they are the "beaver logo" people. They are synonymous with high-quality leather, salt-and-pepper sweats, and a very specific outdoorsy Canadian vibe.
They’ve spent fifty years and millions of dollars making sure that when you hear "Roots," you think of them.
When Meijer launched "Roots & Threads," the Canadian retailer argued this wasn't just a coincidence. In their federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan in August 2025, Roots claimed:
- Brand Dilution: If Meijer sells cheaper kids' clothes under a similar name, it makes the "Roots" brand look less exclusive.
- Customer Confusion: A parent in Grand Rapids might buy a "Roots & Threads" shirt thinking it has the same quality as the $60 Canadian hoodie they bought last year.
- Willful Infringement: This was the big one. Roots claimed Meijer knew exactly what they were doing, especially after the USPTO already flagged the name as problematic.
Short Sentences. Big Stakes.
Lawsuits are expensive. They take forever.
Roots demanded that Meijer stop selling the clothes immediately. They even asked the court to order a recall and destruction of all infringing products. Imagine thousands of toddler shirts being shredded because of a font choice. It’s wild.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Case
People often think trademarking a word like "Roots" is impossible. It’s a common word! You can’t own the English language, right?
Well, sort of. In trademark law, a word like "Roots" is considered "arbitrary" when it comes to clothing. It doesn't describe what the clothes are (they aren't made of literal tree roots), which actually gives it stronger protection.
Meijer’s defense likely hinged on the "& Threads" part. They argued the names were different enough. But the USPTO already pointed out that "Threads" is just industry slang for clothes—it’s "descriptive." So, the dominant part of the name was still "Roots."
The Quiet Ending
If you’re looking for a dramatic, years-long courtroom showdown with a surprise witness, you’re going to be disappointed.
By late 2025, the heat turned down. Court records show that Roots Corporation filed a Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice on December 8, 2025. Judge Robert J. Jonker signed off on it the next day.
What does "dismissed with prejudice" mean in plain English? It means the case is dead. It can’t be refiled.
Usually, when a big company sues a big retailer and then suddenly drops it a few months later, it means they settled behind closed doors. Meijer also abandoned their trademark application for "Roots & Threads" around the same time. Basically, the lawyers talked, money or promises changed hands, and Meijer likely agreed to pivot their branding.
Actionable Insights for Your Own Brand
Whether you're running a boutique or a multi-billion dollar supercenter, the Roots Meijer trademark dispute offers some pretty blunt lessons.
- Monitor Your Name: Roots found out about Meijer’s plans through routine trademark monitoring. If you own a brand, you should have a "watch service" set up to alert you when someone tries to register something similar.
- USPTO Warnings Matter: If the government tells you your name is likely to cause confusion, listen. Meijer’s decision to launch anyway gave Roots the "willful infringement" ammunition they needed.
- Settlement is Usually Better than Trial: Notice how fast this ended? Once the lawsuit was filed, both sides realized that spending two years in court was a waste of money. Most of these disputes end in a settlement where the "junior" brand agrees to change its name or logo.
If you are currently choosing a name for a product, do a deep search beyond just a URL check. Look at the USPTO TESS database. If there is a "Senior User" (someone who used the name first) in your industry, find a new name. It's cheaper than a federal lawsuit.
The "Roots & Threads" line might be a collector's item one day, or more likely, it’s been rebranded into something much safer. Either way, the Canadian beaver won this round.