On January 11th, 2020, Nike and its sister company Converse filed an unprecedented lawsuit against 589 websites and hundreds more social media accounts over trademark infringement and selling counterfeit sneakers. As reported by Footwear News, the lawsuit states:
“Each of defendants’ 589 infringing websites … is currently, or was within the past twelve months, advertising, offering to sell, and/or selling counterfeit Nike or Converse products to United States consumers. …To ensure that consumers make the association between defendants’ counterfeit products and the genuine Nike Products from which they were copied, defendants not only copy the designs, patterns and color schemes associated with [Nike and Converse] products, but also expressly identify the counterfeit products as ‘Nike’ or ‘Converse’ products. Further, defendants make unauthorized use of plaintiffs’ marks, including the trademark-protected ‘Nike’ and ‘Converse’ names, throughout the infringing websites and infringing social media on which these goods are advertised or offered for sale to consumers in the United States and this District.”
The lawsuit also points out the existence of 42 different “counterfeit networks” internationally with operations in China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. This lawsuit is just the latest in Nike’s recent crackdowns on counterfeit products. The Swoosh most recently made headlines in their successful lawsuit against designer Warren Lotas last year. More details to come.
Image via CBP