Recent years, Win has made it a point to go after anyone and everyone who has bankrolled their products either through infringement, patent infringement or even biting their silhouette.
Even sneaker customizers aren't safe from Nike's powerful and well-funded lawyers. Respected sneaker customization tool Shoe Surgeon has just become the latest target of the Swoosh brand, as it has been sued over the custom remixes it has created over the years.
According to Sneaker Legal's official Instagram page, popular sneaker customizer Shoe Surgeon (Dominic Ciambrone, pictured above) has some explaining to do in court, as Nike just slapped him with a trademark infringement complaint over customizations which has created over the years.
Accusing the Shoe Surgeon of counterfeiting and misleading customers who may believe his creations are real collaborations with the company, Nike wants to put an end to Ciambrone's bread and butter. The lawsuit also claims that they have tried numerous times to fix the situation without resorting to legal action, but apparently Ciambrone would simply remove the custom Nikes from his site only to resell them on other platforms.
Nike even singled out Ciambrone's Shoe Surgeon Academy, which is problematic because it teaches people how to customize sneakers to do more bootlegging on these streets.
Nike doesn't just want Shoe Surgeon out of business, they're also asking for $60 million, or the profits the defendant made from their work, along with their attorney's fees. Lord knows how much Nike pays its lawyers, but if they keep winning these kinds of cases, it's not a small fee.
Talking to you Complex on the subject, Nike explained why it takes such measures when it comes to its athletic shoe products.
Per Complex:
“Our goal is to ensure that consumers are not misled and have access to authentic Nike, Inc. products. that are licensed and built to our high standards with the performance benefits they expect. It is unfortunate that after many attempts to resolve this matter privately, we have had to take legal action against Shoe Surgeon for counterfeiting, mass customization and trademark infringement. In order to protect our brand and IP, and in line with Nike's commitment to protect the consumer from counterfeit Nike products, we have no choice but to seek a legal remedy to address how the shoe surgeon manufactures counterfeits 'Nike' footwear from scratch and selling it as an officially branded product. Additionally, the shoe surgeon teaches others to create fake 'Nike' sneakers. These activities are illegal, deceive consumers, and create confusion in the marketplace about the source, authenticity, and quality of Nike products.
“We have valued our relationship with Shoe Surgeon and have no issues with the limited, one-off customization he does for us or his customers when permitted under the contracts of Nike-sponsored athletes. In fact, we value opportunities for our athletes, consumers and partners to express themselves through their own style and creativity.”
Looks like the Shoe Surgeon has his work cut out for him.
What do you think of Nike's latest lawsuit against a well-known sneakerhead in the game? Fair or foul? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Photo: Getty
