NIKE, Inc. filed a complaint against QiLoo International Limited, a Chinese company, on February 6, 2012 (case number 2:2012-cv-00191 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada), alleging infringement of 23 U.S. design patents, listed below.

D361,884        D500,585        D546,541        D578,294

D429,877        D500,917        D547,541        D579,186

D462,830        D523,618        D555,332        D580,636

D475,523        D524,028        D573,338        D580,646

D494,353        D524,529        D573,339        D586,548

D499,247        D532,600        D575,046

All of the patents asserted are directed to shoe designs, and the patent issue dates range from 1995 to 2009.  Images of the allegedly infringing QiLoo footwear are shown below (on the right) next to a figure from the particular design patent asserted (on the left).



The complaint further alleges that QiLoo sold or offered to sell the allegedly infringing shoes at World Shoe Association (WSA) trade shows in Las Vegas, Nevada, and that NIKE hand delivered seven notices to QiLoo at those trade shows from 2007-2011 before bringing suit.

This complaint by NIKE follows less than a week after Skechers filed a complaint to enforce footwear design patents, and following Crocs’ successful enforcement of footwear design patents in both federal court and the International Trade Commission (ITC).