NEW YORK – Nike Inc, the world’s biggest maker of shoes and sportswear has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against rival Adidas-Salomon AG alleging that the latter has copied designs from Nike’s SHOX technology and has incorporated it into Kevin Garnett signature shoes and A3 shoes.

“Nike is widely recognized for its product innovation in footwear and athletic products and we invest heavily to provide performance products to our consumers,” said Eric Sprunk, the Vice President of Global Footwear at Nike. “It is deeply frustrating and inappropriate when companies borrow or refashion such technologies as their own without making similar investments.”

Nike’s SHOX cushioning technology first hit the markets in 2000 as a follow-up of the Nike Air Shoe released in 1979 and has more than 19 patents designed to protect it from imitators. The Beaverton-based company said that the technology took more than 16 years to develop and required considerable financial investment, “Nike often reinvests its revenues into research and development of such new products.

Understandably, Nike and its shareholders cannot allow infringement to occur unchallenged,” Sprunk stressed. Nike also brought patent infringement cases against two other companies at the World Shoe Association Show in Las Vegas last week. The companies in question, Air Max Import and Export Inc. and Romeo and Juliette, had allegedly violated Nike’s patents on another occasion and hence the company decided to serve complaints against them.

Nike was also in the news last month after former chief executive William Perez left following a disagreement with the board. Adidas, which acquired Reebok for $3.8 billion (£2.2 billion) last month was unavailable for comments.
For the full complaint, visit http://www.nikebiz.com.