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As the battle between sports apparel giants like Nike, Under Armor and Adidas rages on, this latest lawsuit could make things a lot more interesting.
According to Roger Groves from Forbes.com, Nike is suing Under Armor along with 30 other manufacturers and distributors. The company is claiming that the defendants have infringed on Nike trademarks, specifically regarding their Chuck Taylor Converse brand.
Along with a federal lawsuit, Nike has also filed an action with the International Trade Commission. With the help of the ITC, a ban could be placed on the importation and sale of all competing products that would infringe upon Nike’s trademarks. That would mean no Under Armor or any other products that featured similar features to Chuck Taylors, including the bumper and toe top that the Converse brand is known for.
This lawsuit could have some major ramifications in the sports apparel industry. Not only that, but certain athletes and schools that are represented by the likes of Under Armour could find that the shoes that want to use and wear could wind up infringing upon Nike trademarks, making them unable to use those specific shoes.
In the grand scheme of things, depending on how many Under Armour products supposedly infringe on these copyrights, it could spell disaster for the company’s domestic sales. This is particularly concerning considering how quickly Under Armour has moved up in the marketplace, as they are now legitimately competing with Nike and Adidas for market share.
Still, there’s not enough information to determine whether or not Nike has a legitimate case, so we will just have to wait and see.
