Van Halen Files Lawsuit Against Nike

Eddie Van Halen recently filed a lawsuit against Nike, accusing the world-known brand for using the copyrighted striped pattern Van Halen made famous on his “Frankenstein” guitar without permission. The aforementioned striped pattern was used on the mid-sole of the pictured Nike Dunk Low sneakers. A spokeswoman from Nike INC. states that “Nike has not referenced the ‘Van Halen’ name or image as part of any marketing campaign or promotional material associated with the shoe,” while Van Halen believes that Nike has done “irreparable harm and damage.” Van Halen wants Nike to recall all Nike Dunk Lows with this colorway as well as give up all profits made from the sneaker. Another key aspect of this lawsuit is the fact that Van Halen released their own signature sneaker not too long ago with the same exact pattern on the entire sneaker. Be sure to check out the pictures after the jump, and let us know what you think of this lawsuit by dropping a comment below.

Via wwd.
Van Halen Files Lawsuit Against Nike

Nike Dunk Low

Van Halen Files Lawsuit Against Nike

Van Halen Sneakers

Van Halen Files Lawsuit Against Nike

Van Halen’s “Frankenstein” Guitar

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41 Comments

  1. I love how nike pulls these type of stunts, they WILL win this case and because of this article these kicks WILL be called the "Van Halen's" or the "Frankensteins", NICE!

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  9. Van Halen is filing lawsuit against Nike, but they can file right back at them (since they now own Converse) for replicating the Converse All-Star shoe. Van Halen is just being stupid.

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  10. aren't those van halen kicks just Chuck taylor look-a-likes?

    and if so , doesn't nike OWN converse? maybe Nike should have a lawsuit againts van halen..

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  16. They stripes aren't even close to the same. The ones on the Nike's are all the same width or thickness. Isn't gonna fly sorry whatever your name is….oh yeah Von Sailin or something like that

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  17. You know if Converse (Nike) was wanting to sue over the Chuck Taylor look then I am sure they probably would have. It all depends on trademarking and copyrights. Just saying things don't make them happen, I understand that in most of your naive ways of thinking that its a "tit for tat" scenario, but maybe you should all shut the fuck up and let arbitration take care of things. Everyone has a right to protect their ideas and information without fear of someone else using them. I think it would be great that you guys come up with an idea that makes you some money but then someone else steals it and makes more off of it. Its not based off money its based off principles, its unethical in business to perform these types of practices. All i read from you people is uneducated unreasearched garble. So once again shut the fuck up.

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  18. midget 1st of shut the f*** up, even if nike did take his pattern (which they obviously didn't. its not they stole his music or his shoe (which to me seems vise-verse with converse look like) but just because they use a similar color pattern thats fuc**** stupid, its like me declaring half black n half red is mine and cant be used on anything. u cant copyright color patterns since colors natural exist it isn't created so whose to say that color pattern doesn't already exist and van whatever didn't take from something else

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  20. i feel eddie, this is like taking the hair off your nuts nd smakin it on some dunks that should be sold at payless..what a gut punch…

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  21. all i know is if HE HAPPENS TO WIN … which i doubt that he will … ill prolly be the lucky soul that has to pack these up at my job and ship them out … call me lazy but whatever … Van Halen stop being a bitch … they werent doing this outta spite … and to Pizzarhea … this color code has no name … i think its simply 061 dont quote me but its something like that

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  23. Eddie should be thankful that Nike made someone think about him for the first time in 20 years.

    If Eddie was smart he would work out a deal with nike to keep using the design and promote Van Halen as part of the use…he might actually sell a record from it. What a loser.

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  24. I find it pretty amusing that all the jitter bUgs commenting don't even know who van halen is loooooool.

    NEways some one said it best, Converse (Nike) cannot sue the shoe design because there is no patent protecting the design of the chucks (look it up). So in truth, Van Halen is not breaking any laws. Is there a double standard? Sure probably, I mean in the perfect world, if you have a problem with someone making money off something "similar" to your design which is protected, you should have a problem designing something off someone else who is not protected. I see similarities, in the design, and a judge (who will initially rule) will probably look at it from a different perspective than a sneakerhead/nike fan boy. I think van halen has a legitimate case. Lets not forget what happened when Nike dropped the henieken dunks… WHAT?!?! yea thats right they had to PULL THEM…

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  25. this is crap.. u can tell that its not the same design… the van halen has other shit 2 it. The nike dunks is just X's

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  26. i thought they were chucks van halen should really think before he sues. " oh you stole a pattern of mine, even though i took a design for a shoe of which company you own! give me my money wahh!" case closed nike wins, countersues for the amount of money nike made of the shoes to be paid again to them.

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  27. well Dat new new, your post should read "first off" not "1st of" and it's "vice versa" not vice verse", once again a dumbass who has no intellect and understanding of civil law and protection of copyrights and trademarks. Have you ever wondered why you never see Sunny D commercials that say "O.J." anymore it for the fact that Gene Simmons has copyrighted that term. Bottom line the pattern on the sole resembles the pattern Eddie Van Halen has developed and trademarked, so once again educate yourself, understand law and shut the fuck up.

    And for everyone else, Van Halen had been the top grossing concerts in 2004 and 2008 and in both those years Eddie Van Halen was listed as one of the top money makes in Forbes; so maybe you all dont follow music very much and you are following bullshit like shoes.

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  28. If you punch a midget, your uneducated…so gtfo lol

    Also, I never even checked these sneakers until this arouse. Also this midget fucker must be either related to a member or is a member of Van Halen in order to be riding jockey so hard.

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  29. Eddie Van Halen worked out a deal with Converse to make a pair of Chucks with his trademarked design. He did not go out and make a pair of Chucks on his own. Converse will be selling the shoes not Eddie himself.

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  30. maybe midget is d riding but he is also correct, if you design something similar to a patent its infringement and action can be taken against you. remember when nike threatended walmart for copying their shox design? them ish looked nothing like current shox only similar…

    and tru eddie designed the sneakers in collaboration with converse what a coincidence nike made a "similar" deszign

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  31. midget just shut the hell up! trying to be the know it all around here. ur probably just looking all this shit up online and passing it off as your own personal knowledge. douche. And following shoes is not bullshit cause most of the time collecting these shoes is as much as an investment as music, as you put it. get off van halens nutsack already!

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  32. Yeah because its impossible for someone to like van halen and go to school and educate them selves. Guess I should just follow along with you dumbasses…oh wait Im not a fucking idiot who will just go with the flow and let people rip me off. fucking idiots

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  33. Midget puncher ur a dumbass ur in a sneaker site bitchin bout a gay rockband nd i like old rock nd old school hip-hop nd van halen is wack they should be glad nike even copied somethin from them cause fuck they suck nd u aren't goin 2 win if you bitch about a rock band u kno y cause ur in a FUCKIN!!!!!!!sneaker site hope you understand.

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  35. do you people know that there is real stuff going on in the world? E V H is a rock legend and if he feels aggreived and decides to sue a multinational company like Nike and they both get some publicity over something which is really nothing then who cares? you folk are getting bent out of shape over two institutions that couldn't care won iota if you exist or not. another rock god said life is what happens when you are making other plans. this cr@p isnt even as important as other plans!! and the trainers are horrible anyway…

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  36. The only parties likely to win in this are the freakin attorneys . Joe Lawyer's kid probably needs a new whatever . EVH should get smart and offer a discount card with each pair towards a CD and tell the lawyers to go lie down . I want to be paid for that idea .

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  37. for the record, Van Halen is one of the biggest Hard Rock and heavy metal band of History. Eddie Van Halen striped design is 100% original, created by himself, for his guitar. "Converse" shoe desig is used by all around the world shoe marcs, patented and pirates.Do you see the diference?. my opinnion is to NIke and Eddie to meake things up and desing together some shoes :D, i'll be the first on buying that pair of shoes with the legendary striped paint.

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  39. the pattern looks just like his guitar its just condensed down onto the midsole nike knew they couldn't cover up the design and its strange how nike releases this shoe right after evh releases his own shoes that collaberated on with converse because he would wear converse shoes painted to look like his guitar pattern, which is 100% original but it's not patented, nike should admit that they stole the design but also say that it's not patented and he should be happy were putting his design on one of nikes most popular shoes, i think evh is worried about people not buying his shoes that he made with converse

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  40. im wit the guy that said idiot and the guy who told the annoyin midget to shut the fuck up. honestly. no1 gives a shit

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  41. To bad that’s not the real frankenstein guitar, they probably got a lawsuit for copying the guitar that horribly

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