Adidas sues Skechers over Springblade concept infringement

Escalating its legal battle against Skechers USA Inc over athletic sneaker designs, Adidas AG on 11 July filed a lawsuit accusing the former of stealing its 'Springblade' concept for it's 'Mega Flex' shoe, NDTV reported.

According to a report in NDTV, Adidas filed a complaint in the US District Court in Portland, Oregon. Adidas mentioned that Skechers infringed two patents related to the three-year-old design whose blades help runners propel forward - Springblade.

Adidas accused Skechers of developing 'mega flex shoes' - Mega Blade 2.0 and Mega Blade 3.0, as "takedowns" that copy the Springblade technology without the cost of creating it, NDTV reported.

NDTV quoted Adidas as saying, "This pattern of unlawful behaviour and freeloading in the industry is outrageous and must end. We will take every legal measure possible to protect and defend our innovations."

Earlier, Adidas had accused Skechers of illegally copying the design for its classic white Stan Smith tennis shoes. Adidas won a preliminary injunction in February, however, a jury trial is scheduled for May 2017.

However, Skechers spokesperson Jennifer Clay said the Manhattan Beach, California-based company does not comment on pending litigation, NDTV reported.