Current:Home > MarketsNike sues New Balance and Skechers over patent infringement -Wealth Empowerment Academy
Nike sues New Balance and Skechers over patent infringement
View
Date:2025-04-13 09:24:02
Sports apparel giant Nike is suing two of its competitors, arguing that New Balance and Skechers are wrongfully using technology that Nike developed for making shoes light-weight and strong.
Nike filed two patent infringement lawsuits on Monday, one in federal court in Massachusetts against New Balance and another federal suit in California against Skechers. The cases come after Nike sued Puma in 2018, Adidas in 2021 and Lululemon this year over the same issue.
Nike's lawsuit focuses on Flyknit, a special type of fiber the company developed and which it uses for the so-called upper of shoes, or the parts of a shoe above the sole and which cover the foot. Flyknit is a high-strength fiber that supports the user's feet but is also lightweight and breathable, according to Nike.
Nike said in court documents that Flyknit took more than a decade of research to develop and helps the company reduce materials waste. Nike has saved 3.5 million pounds of waste since Flyknit's launch and diverted 182 million plastic bottles from nine landfills by switching to recycled polyester in all Nike Flyknit shoes, according to a 2016 analysis from New York University.
Nike said in court documents that the company has sent cease-and-desist letters to New Balance this year regarding Flyknit, but alleged that "New Balance's infringement is accelerating in breadth and scope despite notice from Nike."
"Due to the success of Nike's Flyknit, many of Nike's competitors have copied and made unauthorized use of Nike's Flyknit technologies," Nike lawyers claim in the Skechers lawsuit. "Skechers has likewise used Nike's Flyknit technologies without authorization."
Flyknit patents
Nike said in its lawsuits that it owns the Flyknit technology through nine patents filed between September 2012 and July 2023. Nike accused New Balance of using Flyknit to sell certain footwear, including the Fresh Foam X 1080 v12, the Fresh Foam X Vongo v5, the FuelCell SuperComp Trainer and the Tekela v4 Magia FG. In the lawsuit against Skechers, Nike alleged Skechers infringed upon Flyknit technology by selling its Ultra Flex 3.0, the Glide Step Sparkle and other shoes.
Nike didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. In a statement e-mailed to CBS MoneyWatch, Skechers declined to comment on the lawsuit.
New Balance told CBS MoneyWatch in a statement Tuesday that 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."
Nike wants a federal judge to block New Balance and Skechers from selling shoes with copied Flyknit material. In the lawsuits, Nike has also asked for "an award of damages," but didn't specify a dollar amount.
Nike settled its Flyknit lawsuit against Adidas in August 2022 and settled its Puma case in January 2020. Nike's case against Lululemon, which began in January, is ongoing.
- In:
- Lawsuit
- Nike
Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.
TwitterveryGood! (41756)
Related
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- The Rolling Stones release new gospel-inspired song with Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder: Listen
- Lebanese Armenians scuffle with riot police during protest outside Azerbaijan Embassy
- Las Vegas stadium proponents counter attempt to repeal public funding for potential MLB ballpark
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Things to know about the Klamath River dam removal project, the largest in US history
- China wins bronze in League of Legends but all eyes on South Korea in gold-medal match
- Gates will be locked and thousands of rangers furloughed at national parks if government shuts down
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- What happens to the stock market if the government shuts down? The dollars and cents of it
Ranking
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- What happens to the stock market if the government shuts down? The dollars and cents of it
- Mississippi court reverses prior ruling that granted people convicted of felonies the right to vote
- Norway joins EU nations in banning Russian-registered cars from entering its territory
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- A North Carolina woman was killed and left along the highway. 33 years later, she's been IDed
- Why are Americans spending so much on Amazon, DoorDash delivery long after COVID's peak?
- Indiana governor breaks ground on $1.2 billion state prison that will replace 2 others
Recommendation
Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
Nina Dobrev and Shaun White Love Hard During Red Carpet Date Night
Jason Tartick Reveals Why Ex Kaitlyn Bristowe Will Always Have a Special Place in His Heart
Best and worst performances after a memorable first month of the college football season
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
Forgive and forget: Colorado's Travis Hunter goes bowling with Henry Blackburn, per report
Storm eases in Greece but flood risk remains high amid rising river levels
The Fate of Matt James' Mom Patty on The Golden Bachelor Revealed