Puma and Brooks Sports have reached a settlement in their ongoing legal disputes over running shoe patents and trademarks. The agreement resolves claims that Brooks’ shoes infringed on Puma’s intellectual property rights, including the use of the “Nitro” trademark and design patents related to foam-molding technology.
The disputes began in 2022 when Puma sued Brooks, alleging that Brooks’ advertising campaign for its running shoes, which featured “nitro-infused” midsoles, violated Puma’s trademark rights. Puma also claimed that Brooks’ shoes infringed on a design patent for Puma’s Nitro shoes. Brooks maintained that it used “Nitro” only to describe its shoes’ features and denied any infringement.
In June, Puma filed another lawsuit against Brooks, this time over its Hyperion running shoes, alleging infringement of several patents. Brooks responded by calling the lawsuit baseless and an attempt to harass them.
Separately, Brooks sued Puma in Virginia federal court, seeking a ruling that its Glycerin running shoes did not infringe on Puma’s patents. However, both parties have now confirmed that they have settled their disputes under confidential terms.
As part of the settlement, Puma and Brooks asked a federal judge in Seattle to dismiss the cases with prejudice, meaning they cannot be reopened. The resolution allows both companies to move forward without further litigation.
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