The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals panel agreed unanimously to reinstate a trademark infringement and dilution lawsuit filed in 2003 by six predominantly African-American fraternities and sororities. The suit was originally filed in a U.S. District Court in Texas.
Converse apparently produced a GREEKPAK Weapon basketball shoe that featured “a two-color combination associated with one of the organizations and a small embroidered date near the heal of the shoe that corresponds to the founding year of that same organization.” The district court had granted Converse's motion to dismiss in January 2005.
The case has now been sent back to that court.