Showdown: New Balance Sues Decathlon Over Logo Infringement

New Balance has filed a lawsuit against the parent company of running-shoe brand Kiprun.

It accuses the company of using a logo on its high-performance shoes that is very similar to New Balance’s iconic “N” logo.

New Balance filed the suit on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleging that the logo Decathlon uses on Kiprun shoes is “virtually identical” to the trademark it has used on footwear since the 1970s.

New Balance also noted that Kiprun is itself a specialist running brand, and that the logo on some of its models can be easily confused with New Balance’s existing running products, such as the SuperComp Elite.

©Guoba Dan Reviews

The Boston-headquartered athletic apparel company is asking for sales of Kiprun models bearing the disputed logo to be halted.

New Balance also said it previously contacted Decathlon about the matter, but Decathlon responded that the logos are different because Kiprun uses the letter “K.”

New Balance is an American sports brand founded in 1906 and based in Boston, best known for running shoes and sneakers. Its signature “N” logo has become one of its most recognizable visual marks across professional running, everyday sport, and lifestyle categories.

Kiprun is the specialist running brand of French sports retailer Decathlon, focused on running shoes, apparel, and gear. The brand covers daily training, racing, and long-distance running, and in recent years has continued to launch high-performance products aimed at serious runners.

On one side is the classic “N,” on the other the “K” representing Kiprun — whether this is a coincidence in logo design or a similarity likely to cause consumer confusion will ultimately be decided by the courts.

[End-of-article interaction]

#Who do you think will win the New Balance vs. Decathlon dispute?#

Text/Editor: Web/Cia

Image source: Internet / Paoye Dabaozha

Visual: Max