Nike Inc. is suing its major rivals, New Balance Athletics, Inc. and Skechers USA, Inc. for alleged violation of patent infringement law. The footwear and sports apparel headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, claimed that the companies copied its sneaker technology.
As per Reuters, Nike filed the lawsuits on Monday, Nov. 6, at a US federal court in Massachusetts. The company said New Balance and Skechers infringed its “Flyknit” technology designed for basketball, soccer, and running sneakers.
Nike’s Complaint Against Brand Rivals
The sneaker maker said its lawsuit against New Balance and Skechers mainly involves its patented innovation for making the upper parts of the shoes. It accused the companies of misusing its "Flyknit" technology that it said was applied on some New Balance athletic shoes and Skechers sneakers.
In the filing, Nike listed New Balance's FuelCell, Fresh Foam, and other shoe models as the range that violated its patent rights. For Skechers, the footwear that supposedly infringed Nike’s technology are the Ultra Flex and Glide Step lines.
Compensation for Damage Claims
Inside Retail reported that Nike is requesting the court for monetary compensation but the exact amount was not specified. It also wants the law to order for permanent blocking of New Balance and Skechers from infringing on its patents in the future.
In response to the legal complaint from Nike, Skechers did not immediately respond to the request for comments. On the other hand, New Balance issued a statement saying that while it fully respects competitors’ intellectual property rights, it believes that “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.”
Meanwhile, Nike also sued Puma, Lululemon, and Adidas for the same infringement claims. Among the three firms, only Lululemon’s case remained unsettled up to this time and is currently still ongoing.


Delivery Hero Sells Taiwan Foodpanda to Grab for $600 Million in Debt-Reduction Push
Citi Names Eric Farina and Rob Cascarino to Lead Global Infrastructure Financing Group
9 Tips for Avoiding Tax Season Cyber Scams
Nintendo Switch 2 Production Cut as Holiday Sales Miss Targets
Sonova Shares Slip as Hearing Aid Giant Lowers Growth Outlook and Plans Sennheiser Exit
Goldman Sachs Raises ECB Rate Hike Forecast Amid Persistent Energy-Driven Inflation
CK Hutchison's Panama Ports Dispute Escalates as Arbitration Claims Surpass $2 Billion
OpenAI Pulls the Plug on Sora, Ending $1 Billion Disney Partnership
Lynas Rare Earths Signs Vietnam Deal with LS Eco Energy to Boost Magnet Metal Production
Merck's $6 Billion Bid for Terns Pharma Signals Bold Oncology Push
SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion
Finnair Orders 18 Embraer E195-E2 Jets in Landmark Fleet Overhaul
Rio Tinto's Resolution Copper Mine: U.S. Smelting Challenges and Global Operations Update
Nanya Technology Shares Surge 10% After $2.5 Billion Private Placement from Sandisk and Cisco
Henkel in Advanced Talks to Acquire Olaplex at $2 Per Share
Google's TurboQuant Algorithm Sends Memory Chip Stocks Tumbling
Valero Port Arthur Refinery Explosion Prompts $1M Lawsuit Over Worker Safety Negligence 



