Nike accused New Balance and Skechers of patent infringement – Kommersant
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Nike has filed a lawsuit against New Balance and Skechers, accusing them of violating intellectual property rights, reports Reuters.
Nike’s lawsuits, filed in federal courts in Massachusetts and California, allege that New Balance and Skechers used Nike’s patented Flyknit technology in their own sneakers and athletic shoes. In particular, we are talking about the Fresh Foam and FuelCell models from New Balance, as well as the Ultra Flex and Glide Step models from Skechers.
Nike is asking the courts to order New Balance and Skechers to pay damages and bar the defendants from further use of the patented technology.
This isn’t Nike’s first lawsuit over Flyknit technology. The company has previously accused Adidas, Puma and Lululemon of patent infringement. Nike has already reached out-of-court agreements with the first two, but the trial with the Canadian retailer Lululemon continues. At the same time, the subject of controversy in the case of Lululemon was its very first line of its own sports shoes.
As Nike’s website notes, Flyknit technology “uses high-strength fibers to create a lightweight upper with targeted areas of support, stretch and breathability.” The lawsuits say the patented technology allows for high-performance shoe uppers to be made with fewer materials and waste.
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