Converse Is Being Sued by New Balance Over the Chuck Taylor

New Balance is suing Converse to protect its PF Flyers model.

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In October, we reported that Converse was suing 31 companies, including Wal-Mart and Skechers, for allegedly copying its signature Chuck Taylor model. It was a strategic move to try to get copycats off of shelves and to protect its canvas sneaker against what it sees as trademark infringement. But has Converse gone too far in trying to protect the Chuck Taylor?

New Balance thinks so.

According to the Boston Business Journal, New Balance is suing the Nike-owned subsidiary to protect its PF Flyers brand from aggressive trademark claims made by Converse. Recently, the International Trade Commission was approached by Converse to claim trademarks on canvas sneakers with rubber toe caps and other familiar features donned on the Chuck Taylor.

The trademark claim, which New Balance considers overly broad, would affect PF Flyers' signature sneakers. Its Center silhouette shares some of the design properties of the Chuck Taylor. New Balance is seeking a "declaration of non-infringement" from the court.

In the court filing, New Balance revealed it had reached out to Converse before resorting to a lawsuit to see if PF Flyers' sneakers and the Chuck Taylor could co-exist in the market.

Part of the filing reads, "Given the parties' mutual standing in the athletic footwear industry and the absence of any consumer confusion between their products, New Balance reached out to Converse in an attempt to clarify and memorialize the scope of Converse's enforcement actions as excluding PF Flyers," the Boston-based company wrote. "New Balance's concerns with the scope of Converse's enforcement actions were apparently well-founded. Not only did Converse refuse to carve out PF Flyers, but it threatened to amend the ITC Action to add New Balance as a respondent and to otherwise seek to enjoin the sale of PF Flyers products."

Converse has not yet responded to New Balance's suit.

[via Boston Business Journal]

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