Nike & Adidas Settle US Patent Dispute

Nike Inc and Adidas, the world’s two leading sneaker brands, have resolved a series of US patent disputes over technology used in their athletic shoes, court filings show.

Nike sued Adidas in Oregon and at the US International Trade Commission (ITC) in December, alleging several Adidas shoe designs infringe patents related to Nike’s lightweight Flyknit technology. The ITC began an investigation of Adidas’ shoes based on the complaint in January.

Adidas filed its own lawsuit in East Texas in June, arguing Nike’s Adapt shoe-fitting technology, Run Club and Training Club exercise apps, and SNKRS app for limited-edition shoe sales all violate its patents.

The companies jointly asked the Oregon court to dismiss Nike’s lawsuit on Tuesday, and asked the Texas court and ITC to drop their cases on Thursday.

All of the filings said the dispute had been settled. Details of the settlement were not immediately available, and the companies and their attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.