New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Converse Inc. in a apparent bid to protect its PF Flyers designs. The lawsuit noted that Converse in mid-October went to the International Trade Commission seeking to assert trademarks on classic canvas shoes with rubber toes and other familiar features.

In their lawsuit, New Balance lawyers are seeking protection from what they allege are Converse's overly broad trademark claims. They are petitioning the court to issue what is called a “declaration of non-infringement.” Lawyers wrote that upholding the trademark rights “may improperly affect PF Flyers' ability to compete with Converse.”

The news was first reported in the Boston Journal.