New Balance sues Decathlon for plagiarizing its shoe logo
Because of a Kiprun logo, Decathlon’s running brand, deemed too similar to the iconic “N” that adorns its leg shoes, New Balance filed a lawsuit against the French company for plagiarism in an American court.
The legal battle is brewing between the two running giants. New Balance has filed a lawsuit against Decathlon in a federal court in Massachusetts (USA), where its headquarters is located, alleging plagiarism of its famous “N” logo featured on its leg shoes. The American brand believes that the inverted “K” of Kiprun, Decathlon’s running brand, is too similar to its logo and risks creating confusion among consumers and laugh.
The complaint points out that New Balance has used its “N” on its shoes since the year 1970. The company also states that the “K” on the Kiprun shoes is, in its own view, “undeniably an N.” New Balance bases its case on social media posts highlighting the similarity between the two the logos. It has asked the court for an injunction to halt the alleged trademark infringement and is seeking unspecified damages.
