Nike Inc. said it believes the copyright-infringement lawsuit filed by guitarist Eddie Van Halen against the company had no merit. In a statement, Nike said, “Based on the information provided to us, we have not infringed on any rights held by Mr. Van Halen. Nike's Dunk shoe design is not substantially similar to any of the Van Halen designs, and Nike has not referenced the 'Van Halen' name or image as part of any marketing campaign or promotional material associated with the shoe.”
As reported, Van Halen filed a lawsuit against Nike in Los Angeles, alleging the company is using his trademarked red, white and black striped guitar design for one of their shoes. Nike's “Dunk Lows” shoes feature red, white and black streaks along the midsole. The lawsuit comes as Van Halen has come out with his own line of sneakers under a similar color-scheme. The suit states that Van Halen received a 2001 copyright for the design on the body of his “Frankenstein” electric guitar.
The lawsuit arrives as Van Halen in mid-April formed a partnership with New Jersey-based FEA Merchandising, a company specializing in recording-artist merchandise, to release both high- and low-top canvas sneakers with red, white and black stripes.
