US Department of Justice wins against Google
It remains unclear how the ruling might affect Google.
Asics takes action in Cambodian factory incident
A recent accusation from an international human rights organization has highlighted potential violations of workers’ rights to unionize at a footwear factory in Cambodia. The factory in question is utilized by the Japanese sportswear company Asics.
Lululemon accused of greenwashing
Lululemon is being sued over its Be Planet marketing campaign in a proposed class action lawsuit.
Lululemon victorious in court against Nike
Once again, The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) sided with Lululemon and canceled claims in two Nike patents that cover methods for calculating fitness scores from sensor data. The board ruled five claims of patent number 10,188,930 and eight claims of patent number ...
Under Armour to pay €434 million settlement in shareholder lawsuit
Following a seven-year legal dispute between Under Armour (UA) and a group of shareholders, UA has agreed to pay $434 million in settlement. This should end the legal dispute from 2017, in which it was alleged that the company had misled shareholders about its sales growth to meet Wall Street ...
Shareholders sue Nike
Nike, its President and CEO, John Donahoe, as well as its CFO, Matthew Friend, were sued in Oregon District Court by the Pembroke Pines City Pension Fund for Firefighters and Police Officers for misleading their investors by concealing Nike’s problems with Nike Direct and its DTC strategy.
Nike fails to retain “footware” trademark
The General Court of the European Union has sided with Puma against Nike’s attempt to trademark the capitalized word “Footware” as a play on software/hardware and footwear, according to the Wall Street Journal.
FIFA hit with a labor lawsuit
FIFPro Europe, the association of European footballer unions, has sued FIFA over its unilateral decisions concerning the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held in the US. According to the complainants, this 21st edition twice adds to the workload – first in its expansion to 32 teams and ...
Adidas’ stripe lawsuit against Nike all but nullified
According to Reuters and others, a second appeal in Adidas’ lawsuit against Nike, first filed in 2022, has gone in favor of Nike. This lifts most of the prohibition, set by a regional court in Düsseldorf, on Nike’s use of two or three stripes on five models of pants in ...
German court rules Nike can use three-stripe design on trousers, overturning previous Adidas claim
A German court has, according to Reuters, ruled that Nike can adorn some of its trouser designs with three stripes, a significant development in its ongoing legal battle with Adidas over trademark issues. This decision came during a second appeal hearing, where the Duesseldorf regional court partially overturned a previous ...
Temu faces consumer complaints across Europe for misleading practices
Temu, the Chinese e-tailer known for fast fashion and lifestyle products, is facing scrutiny from 17 European consumer organizations. According to reports from the Dutch Consumers’ Association and the Belgian Testaankoop, these groups have lodged complaints with their national regulators, accusing Temu of deceptive practices and non-compliance with new European ...
Nike settles trademark dispute with Bape
According to a filing in New York federal court on 29 April, Nike has settled all trademark infringement claims against the Japanese streetwear brand Bape and requested that the case be dropped. The parties will bear their own costs and legal fees. In the lawsuit originally filed in January 2023, ...
Spanish trade union sues Decathlon
Spanish trade union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) has filed a lawsuit against Decathlon, claiming that the sports retailer and manufacturer is “violating the fundamental right to freedom of association.” The complaint was filed on April 3.
Burton wins in next instance against Koroyd
Following a 26-month legal battle over a patent related to the shock-absorbing WaveCel technology, Burton has announced in a press release that a German court has ruled that Koroyd’s patent No. EP 1694 152 B1 is invalid in Germany. Koroyd may appeal the decision. In the fall of 2022, Koroyd ...
Court dismisses lawsuit against Nike for greenwashing
A lawsuit against Nike in Missouri has been dismissed by the court following allegations that the company’s Sustainability Collection misled consumers about its use of sustainable materials. The lawsuit, filed by Maria Guadalupe Ellis in May 2023, claimed that Nike violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
Mike Ashley sues Newcastle United over replica shirts for 2024/2025
Mike Ashley, the founder of Sports Direct, is suing Newcastle United over next season’s kit. Ashley owned the football club for 14 years, between 2007 and 2021. He has taken legal action against the club for “stopping his Sports Direct empire from selling their replica shirts” in favor of rival ...
EU parliament advances directive to combat greenwashing – FESI applauds
In a bid to shield consumers from deceptive environmental advertising, the European Parliament has advanced its stance on establishing a verification and pre-approval system for environmental marketing claims.
EFTA states and India deepen economic partnership with new trade agreement
On March 10, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – and India signed a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA). The landmark agreement between India and EFTA will bring significant economic benefits, such as better integrated and more resilient supply chains, new opportunities ...
US SEC accuses Skechers of payments to executives’ family members
On March 7, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that California-based Skechers USA Inc. agreed to pay a $1.25 million civil penalty to settle charges for failing to disclose payments for the benefit of its executives and their immediate family members.
Puma loses patent case over Avanti shoe design
Puma has suffered a setback in a patent dispute over a sports shoe associated with Rihanna, according to a press release from the Court of Justice of the European Union. The case revolves around the Avanti trainer design, which Puma’s Dutch wholesaler, Handelsmaatschappij J. Van Hilst (HJVH), sought to patent ...