The Air Jordan 1 Receives Federal Trademark Protection

Certificates for the Air Jordan 1 High, Low and Low SE also granted

Designer Warren Lotas has been under a lot of heat with Nike after struggling with a lawsuit spanning months. Nike just took the next step to protect the look of its iconic Air Jordan 1. Just a week ago, Nike received a trademark for its sneakers from the USPTO (US Patent and Trademark Office).

 

According to Zak Kurtz, a renowned lawyer, the USPTO registered Nike’s application to protect the integrity of its sneakers on the 1^st of June 2021. Originally, the lawsuit was filed by the company on 31^st July 2020, but it took a while to approve because of the resistance from Vans.

 

The current trade dress applies to both Air Jordan 1 Low SE and Air Jordan 1 Low models. The trade dress filing applies to the panels, midsole ridges, the position of these elements relative to each other, and the eyelets.

Many bootleg versions have entered the market that replaces Nike’s emblems and logos while retaining the other design cues. Now, in theory, any such design would violate the new trade dress.

 

According to Kurtz, the Air Jordan 1 was just the ride trade dress application candidate because the sneakers are known for their distinctiveness. The lawyer further added that the company has been rather aggressive with trade dress protection applications in recent times. For instance, Nike also filed applications for the Air Jordan 5, Air Jordan 4, and Air Jordan 3.

In simple words, a Trade Dress refers to intellectual property that deals itself with the looks of a packaging or a product. A trade dress might have some similarities with a trademark. However, trademarks are generally limited to signs and logos.

 

As of now, one cannot say much about how the new Air Jordan 1 Trade Dress would affect the bootleg versions in the market. However, Kurtz says that the aim of Nike is not to sue all the bootleg “Jordan 1” designers. Instead, it is to send a message to the market.

Federal Trademark Protection Air Jordan 1 sneakers

 

In other news, Kanye West has been flaunting his upcoming Yeezy Gap Round Jacket with floating projections on various notable buildings in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.

 

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