NIKE AND ADIDAS ARE POSTING UP
March Madness has come a little early to Texas.
Nike has accused Adidas of infringing patents held on its “Shox” cushioning technology – a technology that Nike claims has taken “16 years to develop and is covered by 19 separate patents.”
In the complaint (PDF version 16kb) for patent infringement, Nike alleges that the new Kevin Garnett shoe by Adidas (among others) violates one or more claims of Nike’s U.S. patent No. 6,487,796 entitled “Footwear with lateral stabilizing sole”.
For those of us who do not spend a lot of time in athletic shoe departments, “Shox” are the stubby rubber columns, usually in groups of four, that make up part of the sole of some of Nike’s new shoe line. They are designed to absorb impact on the heel while running as well as add more power to a runner’s stride.