Nike Go to Court Against Adidas For Patent Infringement

Nike are trying to stop Adidas from selling Primeknit products in the United States. To achieve this, the Swoosh have filed a complaint to the US International Trade Commission. Story via Bloomberg and Business Insider.

Picture via Mantos de Futebol

Nike Say Adidas Have Copied Flyknit

Nike allege that the Adidas Primeknit technology infringe some of their Flyknit technology patents. Nike want the agency to order a halt to Adidas imports of infringing products.

Nike say it cost over $100 million and more than a decade of research and development to invent Flyknit, which debuted at the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

Many of Adidas' best products include Primeknit technology - Nike mentioned in the complaint Ultraboosts as well as some Pharrell Williams, Stella McCartney, and Stan Smith sneakers. The Adidas Predator football boots also come with a Primeknit collar.

In the complaint, Nike said those were only a few examples because of "the large number of infringing Primeknit styles."

Nike also said that Adidas had "forgone independent innovation" and had instead essentially copied its Flyknit technology. Adidas previously said it had been developing Primeknit for three years before its release, which came four months after Nike released Flyknit.

Last June, an appeals court ruled in Nike's favor after Adidas challenged the validity of two Nike Flyknit patents.

If the US International Trade Commission would block imports of Adidas shoes with Primeknit, the Three Stripes could lose $800 million worth of sneakers with "knitted uppers" alone in the US in one year. This is according to Matt Powell, a senior advisor for the NPD Group. The damage for the whole brand would be even bigger.

"We are currently analyzing the complaint and will defend ourselves against the allegations," an Adidas spokesperson said in an email. "Our Primeknit technology resulted from years of dedicated research and shows our commitment to sustainability."

Nike say that they do not comment on active litigation.

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