by
Reuters
issued
November 13, 2023
Walmart and Vans have settled a trademark lawsuit that accused the retail giant of plagiarizing the design of Vans’ best-selling shoes, according to documents filed in California federal court.
The companies told the court Wednesday that the dispute has been resolved and they have agreed to a court order permanently restraining Walmart from selling the allegedly counterfeit products.
Details about the settlement were not available. Representatives for the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Walmart denied Vans’ claims. The case was scheduled to go to trial later this month.
Based in Costa Mesa, California, Vans’ shoes first rose to fame among Southern California skateboarders in the 1970s. It has since become a global brand owned by Denver-based VF Corp.
In 2021, Vans sued Walmart for copying “virtually all” of Vans’ best-selling sneakers, including the Old School Low-Top Shoe and the Squait High-Top Shoe. The complaint said the Walmart knockoffs cost less than $20 and are “cheaply, poorly made and confusingly similar” to the $60 van.
U.S. District Judge David Carter last year granted Vans’ request to temporarily block Walmart from selling its shoes. Mr. Carter rejected Vans’ bid to hold Walmart in contempt for violating the order later that year.
Vans had asked the court for an order to permanently stop Walmart from selling the shoes, as well as compensating Walmart for profits from the shoes and other monetary damages.
The case is Vans Inc v. Walmart Inc, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 8:21-cv-01876.
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