Vans Inc. asked a federal appeals court to block Skechers USA Inc. from making and selling shoes with a checkerboard-pattern during an ongoing trademark-infringement lawsuit against Skechers. Vans filed its request with the San Francisco court of appeals Dec. 20, one month after a lower court in Los Angeles rejected the bid, according to Bloomberg News.
The lawsuit was filed by Vans earlier this year when Skechers released a checkered slip-on shoe closely resembling a sneaker made famous by Vans.
U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer said in his ruling that Vans had failed to demonstrate its checkerboard design was identified with the company. Skechers was able to avoid an injunction by showing that more than a dozen shoemakers use the same or very similar checkerboard patterns on various shoes.
