Columbia Sportswear Co. is now suing Crocs Inc. for misappropriating trade secrets in a lawsuit involving a former footwear designer. The accusations were added to a lawsuit Columbia filed in August accusing Brian O'Boyle of designing footwear for Crocs while working as a senior footwear designer at Columbia.
According to The Oregonian, Columbia in a filing on Dec. 8 in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Washington accused Crocs of misappropriating trade secrets, intentional contract interference and aiding and abetting breach of duty of loyalty. The suit seeks at least $310,000 in damages, a cease and desist order over sales of certain footwear, and compensation for all profits gained on the merchandise.
Columbia alleges Crocs earned $10 million in revenue and $3 million in profit on four models that incorporate O'Boyle's designs, including Electro clog and Prepair collection of recovery footwear. Columbia alleges Crocs paid O'Boyle more than $120,000 for the work.
O'Boyle, who spent nearly seven years at Nike before joining Columbia in 2003, no longer works at Columbia, according to the Oregonian. Court records show he invented a side element of a shoe upper for which Nike holds a patent.
