PHOENIX | 
 
 PHOENIX (Reuters) - The Navajo, the largest Native American tribe in the United States, is suing clothing chain Urban Outfitters Inc., accusing it of trademark violations for using the tribe's name on products including pullovers, feather earrings and underwear. 
 
 The tribe filed suit late on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New Mexico, alleging trademark infringement and violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act by the retailer which it said sells more than 20 products under the names "Navajo" or "Navaho." 
 
 "In this action, the Navajo Nation seeks to protect its famous and distinct Navajo name and trademark, and to ensure that consumers are no longer deceived, confused, or misled in their pursuits to find and acquire authentic and genuine Navajo products," the suit said. 
 
 The lawsuit followed a formal letter to Urban Outfitters last year demanding that it cease and desist using the Navajo trademark on its brands, an attorney for the Nation said. 
 
 The firm had since pulled the "Navajo" and "Navaho" lines from its website, but continued to sell the products through its subsidiaries, the attorney added. 
 
 Urban Outfitters, which operates subsidiaries Anthropologie and Free People that were also named in the suit, did not immediately respond to an e-mail request for comment. 
 
 The suit said the tribe had been known by the name "Navajo" since at least 1849, with a trademark lodged in 1943 for use in commerce. The tribe currently has 86 registered trademarks in use covering products including clothing, blankets, jewelry, foods and tools. 
 
 It said that since at least March 2009, Urban Outfitters has advertised, promoted and sold its goods under the "Navaho" and "Navajo" names on the Internet and in stores across the United States to compete directly with the Navajo Nation's retail goods. 
 
 The retailer has sold over 20 products using the two names, which the suit noted are phonetically identical, to sell products that included the "Escote Navajo Wool Tote Bag" at $39 and the "Navajo Hipster Panty" line at $25 for a pack of five. 
 
 The attorney for the Navajo Nation told Reuters the tribe was seeking to get Urban Outfitters to desist using the Navajo name and trademark, and was also seeking monetary damages that will be determined during the discovery process. It was not immediately clear what those damages would amount to. 
 
 The Navajo Nation is a sovereign Indian Nation with over 300,000 enrolled members. Its lands span parts of northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah and northwestern New Mexico. 
 
 (Editing by Cynthia Johnston) 

 The Navajo Nation has sued Urban Outfitters Inc. months after the tribe sent a cease and desist letter to the clothing retailer demanding it pull the "Navajo" name from its products. 
 
 FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2011 photo, purchased items from Urban Outfitters' Navajo line are shown in Tempe, Ariz. The Navajo Nation is suing Urban Outfitters months after the tribe sent a cease and desist... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2011 photo, Pedestrians walks past Urban Outfitters in Tempe, Ariz. The Navajo Nation is suing Urban Outfitters months after the tribe sent a cease and desist letter to the clothing... (Associated Press) 
 
 The lawsuit filed late Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New Mexico alleges trademark violations and violations of the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act, which makes it illegal to sell arts or crafts in a way to falsely suggest they're made by American Indians when they are not. 
 
 The tribe has about 10 registered trademarks on the Navajo name that cover clothing, footwear, online retail sales, household products and textiles. Tribal justice officials said they're intent on protecting what they believe are among the tribe's most valuable assets. 
 
 "The fame or reputation of the Navajo name and marks is such that, when defendant uses the `Navajo' and `Navaho' marks with its goods and services, a connection with the Navajo Nation is falsely presumed," the lawsuit states. 
 
 Urban Outfitters set off a firestorm of criticism last year with its line of Navajo-branded clothing and accessories _ particularly underwear and a liquor flask, which the tribe said was "derogatory and scandalous," considering the sale and consumption of alcohol is banned on the reservation that spans parts of northeast Arizona, southeast Utah and northwest New Mexico. The company removed the product names from its website after acknowledging receipt of the cease and desist letter. 
 
 But the Navajo Nation wrote in its lawsuit that products with the Navajo name still are sold through other company brands, like Free People, in catalogs and retail stores. 
 
 The clothing boutique's website features several pieces of jewelry labeled vintage Navajo with turquoise stones and silver. A description for a handmade cuff says it originally was sold at a trading post, and has etched arrow detailing with a "sterling" stamp on the back. 
 
 There was no sign of the word "Navajo" on any products at an Urban Outfitters in downtown Tempe late last week. 
 
 The Philadelphia-based company did not respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday. 
 
 Company spokesman Ed Looram said in an email last October that Urban Outfitters had no plans to alter its products. 
 
 "Like many other fashion brands, we interpret trends and will continue to do so for years to come," he said. "The Native American-inspired trend and specifically the term `Navajo' have been cycling thru fashion, fine art and design for the last few years." 
 
 He later declined further comment, saying the matter was in the hands of legal counsel. 
 
 Susan Scafidi, who directs the Fashion Law Institute at Fordham University's law school in New York, said Urban Outfitters could point out the name changes in certain items in response to the tribe's original objections. The "Navajo Hipster Panty" and the "Navajo Print Fabric Wrapped Flask," for example, later appeared on the company's website as "printed" instead of "Navajo." 
 
 Other defenses include claiming no likelihood of consumer confusion between an authorized Navajo clothing item and the panty, using alternate spellings of "Navajo" and arguing that the contested product isn't a handicraft, she said. 
 
 But she and New York-based fashion lawyer Joseph F. Murphy Jr., agree the trademark infringement is clear. Both pointed to a history in which the Navajo Nation lost real property and now is fighting to protect intellectual property. 
 
 "That's what disgusts me about this situation," Murphy said. "I, like many people, thought it would have been resolved. But apparently Urban Outfitters declined to write the big apology and may have to write the big check." 
 
 The Navajo Nation's objections to traditionally styled beaded earrings or a hacienda bag that don't carry the tribe's name are much less likely to succeed, Scafidi said. But she said it shows a pattern that could influence a jury, which the tribe has requested in its lawsuit. 
 
 "Imagine all of those products piled on a table in the courtroom, looking like Santa Fe meets New York's notorious Canal Street or Beijing's Silk Market," she wrote in an email. 
 
 Tuesday's action isn't the first time the Navajo Nation has asserted its trademarks, though it had never taken action in federal court, said tribal Department of Justice attorney Brian Lewis. The tribe successfully forced the cancellation of a "Navaho" trademark last year that was used by a French company doing business in the United States. The tribe argued the name was phonetically identical and infringed on its trademark. 
 
 The tribe licenses its name to other businesses in exchange for a share of their profits, and it has identified about two dozen companies it believes are violating the Navajo trademark. Lewis said letters and phone calls typically convince others to stop infringing on the tribe's rights. 
 
 He said the widespread use of the word "Navajo" on products does not make it an acceptable practice, nor does it go unnoticed. But he said the tribe's resources are limited and the Navajo Nation must prioritize the actions it takes. 
 
 "In this case, the level and degree of egregious behavior and harm to the Navajo Nation factored heavily into the Navajo Nation's decision to act," he wrote in an email to The Associated Press. 
 
 The lawsuit seeks monetary compensation and an order permanently enjoining Urban Outfitters from using the name "Navajo" or variations of it on its products.
– The biggest Native American tribe in the US wants Urban Outfitters to stop using its name. The Navajo Nation has filed suit against the clothing chain, accusing it of trademark infringement and violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act with its sale of more than 20 products under the name "Navajo" and "Navaho," reports Reuters. The suit says the tribe has been known as the Navajo since at least 1849, and the name was registered as a trademark in 1943. A company spokesman says the chain doesn't plan to alter its products. After the company was criticized last year for including underwear and whisky flasks in its Navajo line, a spokesman said the chain had no intention of changing its products. "The Native American-inspired trend, and, specifically, the term 'Navajo' have been cycling through fashion, fine art and design for the last few years," he told AP.