Skechers USA Inc. said Monday that it will vigorously defend a patent suit filed in Texas federal court Thursday by Kizik Design LLC, which alleges in essence that Skechers’ entire Hands Free Slip-ins line infringes on Kizik’s patents.
The company calls Kizik’s lawsuit “baseless.” It said in a statement that Skechers has patents for unique Slip-ins technology, which it says has obtained “more than 140 utility and design patents worldwide, including in the United States, and has vigilantly enforced its patent rights, resulting in numerous judgements, injunctions and settlements around the world.”
The filing of this lawsuit follows the recent announcement of Skechers’ planned $9.42 billion buyout by 3G Capital, which Skechers says raises suspicions about the timing. In the statement, Skechers President Michael Greenberg questioned the motives behind the lawsuit, noting Kizik’s sudden assertiveness after years of silence despite Skechers’ ongoing promotion and sales of its Slip-ins since December 2021.
Based in New York, Stephen Freeman is a Senior Editor at Trending Insurance News. Previously he has worked for Forbes and The Huffington Post. Steven is a graduate of Risk Management at the University of New York.