Nike sued New Balance and Skechers for patent infringement over sneaker technology. The world’s largest shoe company, Nike (NKE.N), filed federal lawsuits against competitors New Balance and Skechers (SKX.N) on Monday, alleging that they had violated patents covering Nike’s technology for producing uppers for sneakers.
The claims claimed that several Skechers and New Balance running, soccer, and basketball shoes improperly exploited Nike’s copyrighted “Flyknit” technology.
For violating Flyknit patents, Nike has already filed lawsuits against Adidas (ADSGn.DE), Puma (PUMG.DE), and Lululemon (LULU.O). While Nike’s legal battle with Lululemon is still pending, the cases against Adidas and Puma have been concluded.
New Balance stated it “fully respects competitors’ intellectual property rights, but Nike does not own the exclusive right to design and produce footwear by traditional manufacturing methods that have been used in the industry for decades.”
Representatives of Skechers or Nike did not immediately answer requests for comments on the cases filed on Monday.
Flyknit technology, according to the Nike website, “uses high-strength fibers to create lightweight uppers with targeted areas of support, stretch, and breathability.” Nike is situated in Beaverton, Oregon. According to the claims, it can produce high-performance uppers with less waste and material because of unique technologies.
Nike filed a case in federal court in Massachusetts alleging that shoes from New Balance’s FuelCell, Fresh Foam, and other brands infringe upon Nike’s patent rights. New Balance is situated in Boston. Nike filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against Skechers, a company in Manhattan Beach, California, alleging that its Ultra Flex and Glide Step brands of shoes violated its patents.
Nike requested injunctions barring New Balance and Skechers from ever again infringing on their patents, along with an undisclosed sum of money in damages.
