Rock brand takes Nike to court over shoe design
19/06/2009
Hard rock band Van Halen has filed a complaint against Nike at a court in Los Angeles because, it claims, one of the designs in the brand’s new Dunk collection of sports shoes infringes its copyright.
The shoes, which have criss-crossing red, white and black stripes infringes, the rock group alleges, a design motif that one of the band’s founders, Eddie Van Halen, used on a guitar in the 1970s. The pattern was put under copyright by the band in 2001, and licensed for a line of Van Halen footwear that came out earlier this year.
Nike rejected the allegations, insisting that the design was substantially different and pointing out that the sports brand had made no reference to the Van Halen name or image as part of its marketing campaign.
The case looks likely to end in a court case.
Share this story:
