EU court rejects Nike's trademark
17/06/2024
A European Union court has blocked Nike's trademark bid for the term "footware" after a complaint from Puma.
The court found that "footware" could be confused with "footwear" and therefore rejected Nike's attempt to trademark the term for technology-related products. Nike has been ordered to cover Puma's legal costs. Nike intended "footware" as a play on words, combining "foot" with "software" or "hardware."
Although the company may appeal to the European Court of Justice, it has not commented yet. Puma, on the other hand, has expressed satisfaction with the decision.
This ruling is part of a larger legal battle over the "footware" trademark. In 2019, Nike filed applications in the US, UK, and Europe. While the British High Court ruled in favour of Nike in 2021, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board halted Nike's trademark attempt earlier this year following a complaint from San Antonio Shoemakers.
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