On September 4, a lawsuit was filed by the US shoe manufacturer Skechers in the Southern District of New York. This lawsuit is directed against the Rockport brand and its licensee Marc Fisher, including the companies Marc Fisher Holdings LLC, ABG Rockport LLC and its parent company Authentic Brands Group LLC.
Skechers accuses Rockport or Authentic Brands Group and their licensee Marc Fisher of marketing and selling shoes that infringe Skechers’ patent rights. In particular, Skechers’ patented slip-in technology, which Skechers sees as a threat to Rockport. According to the document filed in New York District Court, this happened “without the defense asking Skechers to obtain a license to Skechers’ intellectual property.” With the lawsuit, Skechers not only wants to demand that the defendant stop producing the affected products, but also demands appropriate compensation.
Rockport is by no means the only brand that Skechers is taking legal action against for patent infringement. This year alone, the company has filed legal complaints against companies such as Laforst Shoes Inc., Dockers by Gerli and Steve Madden. The patented slip-in shoe design has repeatedly been at the forefront.
