Skechers fires back at Nike in patent dispute
Footwear manufacturer Skechers has hit back at Nike after the sportswear brand sued it for patent infringement.
In an inter partes review (IPR) filed at the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board, Skechers has claimed that the patents Nike asserted against it should be declared invalid due to existing prior art.
Earlier this year, WIPR reported that Nike had sued Skechers for allegedly infringing eight of its design patents.
According to Nike, Skechers’ models including the Women’s Flex Appeal and the Men’s Flex Advantage have “substantially the same” appearance as Nike’s patented designs.
In the lawsuit filed on Monday, January 4 at the US District Court for the District of Oregon, Nike demanded profits from the sales of the shoes, an order preventing further sales, and damages.
Nike’s patents were granted between January 2014 and March 2015.
According to Skechers, the design of the shoes was already well-known and had been used by fashion houses including Missoni.
Skechers added that the designs had been around since the 1950s, a long time before Nike’s patents were granted.
The IPR specifically targeted Nike’s patent D700,423 which relates to the upper part of the shoe.
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