Adidas is taking Skechers USA Inc. to court again.
The popular Germany-based athletic brand says Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based Skechers has become a repeat offender for ripping off its sneaker designs.
In a lawsuit filed Monday in federal district court in Portland, Ore., Adidas alleges that Skechers copied its Springblade technology — introduced in June 2013 — to create a similar technology, the Mega Flex.
In court documents, Adidas claims that the Skechers’ Mega Flex, including the Mega Blade 2.0 and 3.0 shoes, infringes on two patents for its Springblade technology. Adidas’s filing further cites “public reports” that allegedly show “that the industry and consumers recognize that [Skechers] copied the design and features of adidas’s Springblade shoes.”
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In a statement to Footwear News on Monday, Adidas had stern remarks for its competitor.
“We will not stand by and allow others to blatantly copy our products and infringe on our valuable intellectual property,” a spokesperson for Adidas said. “These shameless imitations tarnish the reputation of our brand and our people who work tirelessly to research and develop technical innovations and designs that help athletes make a difference.”
The spokesperson added, “This pattern of unlawful behavior and freeloading in the industry is outrageous and must end. We will take every legal measure possible to protect and defend our innovations.”
This is the second suit Adidas has filed against Skechers in the past year.
In documents filed in federal district court in Portland, Ore., in September, Adidas alleged that Skechers infringed on its iconic Stan Smith sneaker, its three-stripe mark and its “Supernova” trademark. In February, Adidas obtained a preliminary injunction prohibiting Skechers from selling two already-discontinued styles of shoes and from using the word “Supernova” in connection with a third discontinued style.
In its latest suit, Adidas is seeking monetary damages as well as a permanent and preliminary injunction preventing Skechers from continuing to sell the allegedly infringing product.
When FN contacted Skechers regarding this litigation, a spokesperson for the company said that Skechers does not comment on pending litigation.
