North Andover-Based Converse Sues Retailers Over Knockoff Sneakers

North Andover-based Converse Inc. filed lawsuits on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in New York against 31 companies that the shoe company says are mass-producing, distributing or selling sneakers that knock-off the look of Converse’s iconic Chuck Taylor snea

Walmart, Kmart, Skechers and other retailers named in the lawsuits.

Converse filed multiple lawsuits in the International Trade Commission and in the Eastern District of New York.
“Our decision to bring these lawsuits is grounded in the basic principle of fairness, our well-established right and responsibility to protect Converse’s intellectual property, and our commitment to prevent consumer confusion in the marketplace,” said Jim Calhoun, President and CEO of Converse Inc. “For generations, the Chuck Taylor, universally known as the ‘Chuck’, has captured the hearts and minds of millions of consumers, selling over a billion pairs globally during the past century. We welcome fair competition, but we do not believe companies have a right to copy the Chuck’s trademarked look.”

From its original debut on basketball courts in the United States in 1917, the iconic and unmistakable Chuck has only grown in popularity, according to the company, and has become a mainstay with creatives, and on stages, skate parks, artist studios and neighborhood street corners across the globe.

More recently, the unmatched popularity of the Chuck has led to a market explosion in the production, distribution and sale of knockoffs.
Knockoff Chucks used to be a rarity, but since 2008, Converse has served more than 180 cease and desist letters asserting its rights in the Converse Midsole Trademark (the iconic look of Converse sneakers, including the Chuck) and the Converse Outsole Trademark (the diamond pattern outsole).

The proliferation of these knockoffs causes confusion among consumers, as well as economic harm and damage to both the Chuck Taylor business and Converse brand. The ITC and Federal District Court cases filed today are a necessary step toward bringing a stop to this infringing activity.
Converse Inc., based in North Andover, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike, Inc.

According to company officials, Converse owns a United States Trademark Registration relating to the Converse Midsole Trademark (No. 4,398,753) and two relating to the Converse Outsole Trademark (Nos. 3,258,103 and 1,588,960), in addition to rights obtained by long term use, also known as common law trademark rights. Converse was established in 1908.