JUST IN:Nike secures partial win over Lululemon in patent infringement case…….Read more

 

 

Nike earned a “win in another patent infringement lawsuit filed against a competing brand” as a N.Y. federal jury on Monday found that Lululemon “infringed on certain structures of Nike shoes but not on the company’s proprietary Flyknit technology patent,” according to Demi Lawrence of the PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL. As a result, Lululemon “must pay Nike $355,000 in damages.” Originally filed in early 2023, the complaint alleged that “four of Lululemon’s shoe designs — Chargefeel Mid, Chargefeel Low, Blissfeel and Strongfeel – infringed on Nike’s Flyknit technology.” Nike debuted the Flyknit technology in 2012, “touting its lightweight, knitted construction that its says reduces production waste.” Lululemon said that it had “worked for four years to create its own light-weight, breathable knitted fabric for its shoes”

Nike has secured a partial win in its ongoing patent infringement case against Lululemon, with a New York federal jury awarding Nike $355,450 in damages. This amount is significantly lower than the 5% of Lululemon’s revenues from the infringing shoes that Nike had initially sought.¹

The case revolves around Nike’s “Flyknit” technology, which involves knitting footwear uppers with specific textures and structures. Nike alleged that Lululemon’s Chargefeel, Strongfeel, and Blissfeel footwear lines infringed on three of its Flyknit patents.²

This is not the first time Nike has taken Lululemon to court. In January 2022, Nike sued Lululemon over its Studio Mirror device, alleging patent infringement.³ Additionally, Lululemon has also challenged the validity of Nike’s Flyknit patents, with the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board allowing the challenge to proceed.⁴