“Red dirt Rules” and “Kimo’s Hawaiian Rules”, the alike T-shirts

Called “Kimo’s Hawaiian Rules,” the list of 10 sayings printed in a variety of styles on the Nite Owl T-shirts, was handed over to Nite Owl for reproduction in 1991 by Kimo Krogfoss, philosophy professor and frequent visitor to Kaua‘i. It is all about a message of optimism always ending in the trademarked phrase “No Rain – No Rainbows”.

According to the company owner Rita Peeters, the design is so popular, that other companies grabbed the idea printing it as their own.

For example, Paradise Sportswear Hawaii, creator of the Red Dirt Shirt, sells T-shirts with designs featuring “Red Dirt Rules” that are almost identical with the ones from the Nite Owl.

By putting it side-by-side with the “Kimo’s Hawaiian Rules”, besides small changes to the phrasing and punctuation you wouldn’t find much of a difference.

There are similarities even in the design.

An there’s more: the two companies occupy opposite sides of the same ware house in Port Allen warehouse, both featuring the above depicted T-shirts in their outlet stores.

Nite Owl’s Art Director David Christy says he has talked with Paradise Sportswear President Randy Williams, whom said an artist working for them had presented the idea, and the company was not aware that it was plagiarized.

He said: “It upsets me… I know what the issues are and I’m personally sensitive to my intellectual property.”

But nothing has happened since, and the shirts are currently available at Paradise Sportswear’s retail stores.

A good thing though, is that as neighbors, the Nite Owl and Paradise Sportswear staffs maintain a good relationship — even sharing materials and paint.