Lululemon sues Peloton for selling "knock-offs" of their products
Apparel company lululemon filed a lawsuit against Peloton on Monday over patent infringement of the exercise equipment company’s new apparel line.
The Vancouver-based athletic apparel brand claims in court documents that Peloton sold “knock-offs” of Lululemon bras and leggings.
“Peloton did not spend the time, effort, and expense to create an original product line,” Lululemon stated in the court documents. “Instead, Peloton imitated several of lululemon’s innovative designs and sold knock-offs of lululemon’s products, claiming them as its own.”
- You might also like:
- Human rights tribunal dismisses complaint against Lululemon over mask policy
- 17 holiday gift ideas for the most stylish person in your life
The lawsuit, filed in a US court, comes just days after Peloton filed its own lawsuit against Lululemon on November 24, asking for a court declaration that it has not infringed on any patents.
Peloton claims in court documents that “lululemon’s allegations lack merit.”
“Even a quick comparison of the lululemon Patented Designs with the allegedly infringing Peloton products reveals numerous clear and obvious differences that allow the products to be easily distinguished,” Peloton stated in court documents.
The feud over clothing patents started earlier this year when Peloton ended its co-branding agreement with Lululemon and announced the launch of its own product line shortly after.
View this post on Instagram
Lululemon sent Peloton a cease-and-desist letter on November 11, asking that “Peloton immediately stop selling its copy-cat products, which infringe lululemon’s design patent and trade dress rights,” also threatening to file a lawsuit if Peloton didn’t comply.
The athletic apparel retailer says Peloton wrote back asking for more time, which they agreed to.
Lululemon claims that Peloton’s decision to ask for a court declaration that it has not infringed on any patents “gave lululemon the false impression that it needed and would use the additional time to properly respond to lululemon’s substantive allegations.”