Converse Wins Shoe Design Patent Claim Against Steve Madden

Recently, the United States District Court of Massachusetts denied Steve Madden's petition to dismiss part of the design patent infringement claim raised by Converse Inc. Steve Madden ("Madden") is a major manufacturer and retailer of apparel, footwear, belts, handbags, and accessories, while Converse Inc., ("Converse") is a major footwear company.

Converse filed a suit complaining that the design of the shoes sold by Madden allegedly infringe the design patents held by Converse, while Madden filed a motion before the Court to dismiss part of Converse's petition (Count I) for failure to state a plausible claim of infringement.

Converse introduced its "Run Star Hike" sneaker in London in 2018 and released it for sale in the United States in 2019. Converse has filed applications and obtain patents related to the design of that sneaker, including U.S. Design Patent Nos. D873,547 ("the '547 Patent") and D874,106 ("the '106 Patent").