Fraud Accusations Thrown at Nike Amid Air Jordan 1 Trademarking
via Sean Go
Following the announcement that received Federal Trademark Protection for the iconic design, a counter-petition to the United States Patent and Trademark Office was filed late last week accusing the company of fraud. The petition makes some bold accusations, stating that Team Swoosh submitted false statements to receive its ‘improperly issued’ Federal Trademark Protection for the Air Jordan 1.
Serving as a lifeline for bootleggers and customisers, the petition was filed by Robert Lopez, the founder of New York–based RGL Consulting Group. The firm assists ‘independent brands and small business owners in successfully enforcing their brand ownership rights against corporate giants’.
, the Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 1 Low and Air Jordan 1 Low SE all received federal trademark protection from the USPTO last week. The new designation means the silhouette is recognised as a unique product by the US government, which gives Nike more power to pursue brands or individuals who ‘bootleg’ or copy the design without making significant changes to its structural composition – think .
At this point, the best case scenario for customisers would be a retraction of the Federal Trademark Protection from the USPTO. Stay tuned for updates!
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