Nike logo war heating up with skiing brand over Air Jordan design: What we know so far
Nike is dealing with an apparel brand over a logo that Nike considers reminiscent of the Air Jordan "Jumpman" logo. According to sources, the famous company has sent several cease-and-desist logos over the logo. The owner of Skiman, a Colorado-based ski apparel company, has reportedly received several letters from the complaining company.
Nike has argued that the logo Skiman is using is too similar to its own “Jumpman” logo.
According to Fucik, he filed the design in 2020 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and has owned the trademark ever since. Nike reportedly didn't challenge the design, which the owner calls “a skier performing maneuver called a daffy,” when it was first shown.
The athletic footwear brand has requested Fucik to “voluntarily cancel” his ownership of the trademark, according to reports. In one letter, the company doubled down on its mission to stop Skiman from using its current logo, stating that it may pursue “any available legal remedies … to protect its valuable trademarks."
"I just thought of a logo that just resembled what it is to be free on the mountain," Fucik said. "I don’t know how (Nike) found out about me. ... I know they have a team of lawyers that this is what they do is peruse the internet, and look up, you know, small businesses."
He isn't planning on changing or updating his logo as it could ruin his business. However, Fucik said he is open to negotiations with Nike.
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Nike supplies new Kobes to the Duke Blue Devils
The widow of the late Kobe Bryant, Vanessa, teamed up with Nike for a recent project. They honored six college basketball programs and have started supplying the teams with "player-exclusive apparel and sneakers." Being a girl dad, the shoe company sponsored the Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team with Kobe 8s.
The shoe has a custom design that highlights the colors of the university. These custom-made shoes were worn by the team as it went up against the South Carolina Gamecocks, a team sponsored by Under Armour. No news about the new pair hitting the market has been released yet, but there have been speculations that it won't be sold to the public.
Aside from Duke, the company also sponsors LSU, which has also donned the player-exclusive Nike Kobe 8 Protro sneakers.
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