August 22, 2022
13:16
Eight months after starting a legal battle, Nike and Adidas have announced that they have reached a private agreement. The American brand believed that its German competitor had illegally exploited some of its patents.
Adidas and Nike (partially) bury the hatchet. Eight months after the American equipment manufacturer filed a complaint against its main competitor, the file is closed. The two brands have reached a private agreement which puts an end to a legal fight which could have been very expensive. The details of the agreement were not disclosed, the two brands having simply specified that they were each responsible for their respective legal fees.
The equipment supplier Nike had filed a complaint last December, because it believed thatAdidas had illegally exploited a dozen of its patents Flyknit to expand its Primeknit collection. These two collections use the same technology. The shoes have the upper part made of knitted mesh, which is said to improve performance while making the shoes lighter. “Nike Flyknit technology uses super-durable fibers to create lightweight uppers with targeted areas of support, stretch and breathability,” Nike says on its website.
“Data collected by Nike over more than 40 years through foot research has helped determine where to apply each stitch,” the group explains. Used on running shoes, this innovation has gradually spread to other models. It is now also used for basketball and football shoes.
Long-standing conflict
The conflict initially dates back to 2012, when the two collections were launched, calling for innovation. The Nike one came out only a few months before the Adidas one.. The American equipment manufacturer then estimated that several of its patents had been directly exploited. The claim has always been contradicted by German society.
However, the agreement does not sign the end of the conflicts between the two brands, accustomed to returning blows. Adidas has notably attacked the patents filed by Nike on several occasions. The two brands also compete in other fields, particularly in terms of their applications. This time it’s Adidas, which believes that patents on its Run Club application have been used illegally by Nike to develop its Nike Training Club offer.