Nike, Converse Get Relied After Showing that Making of Product Predated Patent Filing

A federal judge has granted a motion for summary judgment filed by Nike and Converse, effectively dismissing the patents’ infringement lawsuit.   In siding with the corporate giants, the court found that the product “was commercially offered and ready for patenting more than one year before plaintiffs applied for their patent.” The disputed patent was a “lateral foot stabilizer -- essentially a small outgrowth on the side of a shoe that widens the sole in order to provide greater fo