Home : Celebrity Justice : So Shoe Me -- Van Halen Takes Nike to Court

Celebrity Justice
So Shoe Me -- Van Halen Takes Nike to Court

Posted Jun 16th 2009 12:30PM by TMZ Staff

Eddie Van Halen claims Nike is guilty of walking all over him -- by saying the shoe giant jacked his trademarked black, white and red design for a new line of sneakers.

Van Halen

ELVH Inc. -- Eddie's company -- filed a federal lawsuit against Nike last week, laced with allegations of copyright infringement. The suit claims a series of designs Eddie trademarked -- designs which have prominently been displayed on his guitars since 1978 -- were lifted by Nike without his consent.

The suit is not only seeking monetary retribution -- it also calls for "the impoundment and destruction of all footwear."

Tags: converse, converse3, eddie van halen, EddieVanHalen, lawsuit, nike

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46. He is not the designer of the patteren in the first place #1.2Nd many many hair bands had much the same design.IF that is is only trade mark than every copy of every copy would be a infringment and thats just not the case.As any smuck can buy a copy and use it on stage.It`s not a piccoso it`s a lam 70`s on a drunk spray can frizzle.Shirts and pants were also looking like white snake so on.Nike will pay I`am sure they don`t want bad PR and ed know that and he will sign a deal with them and that will kill the shoes off and they will be give aways to 3Rd world shoeless.As a trade mark battle NIKE would win if there was no bad PR to go along with it.It`s not a trade mark per say it`s not A poster like LIPs of rollin stones it`s a just painted on like a million others.He didn`t built the thing,he didn`t design someone did that for him so it isn`t even his.

Posted at 4:36PM on Jun 16th 2009 by TRADE MARK Inforcement

47. So Eddie Van Halen is calling universal dibs on red, white and black lines? Give me a f'in break. Another frivilous lawsuit.

Posted at 4:38PM on Jun 16th 2009 by Whatever

48. If your not into VanHalen or Eddie VanHalen you probably wouldn't realize that that pattern is easily reconizable to anyone that has followed the band and Eddies career for over twenty years. It is on tee-shirts, expensive guitars, license plates, key chains, etc and Eddie's tennis shoes that he wears on stage. My son owns a tee-shirt, I have a license plate and when you go to a show you see these home made shoes that fans have made so I'm sure some exec saw these somewhere and thought hey what a great idea, to bad so sad someone else had already thought of it like twenty years ago and had it licensed. Nike doesn't have a leg to stand on or should I saw a shoe to stand on. It's Eddie property why shouldn't he go after them, if the shoe was on the other foot, I'm sure Nike would do the same.

Posted at 4:54PM on Jun 16th 2009 by Brenda

49. I'm really surprised at the comments. Eddie Van Halen has used that pattern on everything for two decades Anyone that has been a fan knows this. If I see it on a shirt, it doesn't even need his name or the band's name on it, it is Van Halen. Obviously, most of you have no clue but just like to bash someone. If it belonged to you, how fast would you run to your attorney's office but yet when Eddie does, he has to be out of money, or some other lame excuse. Destorying the merchandise is standard unless a settlement can be reached. Go Eddie.

Posted at 5:30PM on Jun 16th 2009 by Lisa

50. "...destruction of all footwear." Really?! Come on! How about donate them to charity or something? Geez!

Posted at 6:36PM on Jun 16th 2009 by LBJ

51. EDDIE IS SUING BECAUSE HE HAS NO MONEY

BOO HOO

GET A JOB

Posted at 6:38PM on Jun 16th 2009 by EDDIE IS A LOSER

52. Seriously?? I'm not even seeing a remote resemblance between the sneaker sole and the guitar, other than it contains the same colors and straight lines. If he trademarked those two parts, then I can understand. But he didn't. If he did, he'd be suing a lot more than just Nike for use of those colors and straight lines ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I've seen bikinis and board shorts in Walmart with red, black and white, with straight lines.... I don't see him suing Wally World...... I sure hope this case gets laughed right out of the courthouse....

Posted at 6:51PM on Jun 16th 2009 by What's black, white and red all over?

53. #40 Love VH. HATE that song.

Posted at 7:11PM on Jun 16th 2009 by 2drk2fck

54. Please. I suppose he has a trademark on the colors of red, white, and black as well? Dude needs to grow up.

Posted at 7:46PM on Jun 16th 2009 by natalie

55. I dont think it will be that big of a problem theyre not the same...The guitars pattern has it to where the black crosses the white. While the shoe is different as you see the white crossing over the black. It makes a difference.... Not only that how many 80s pair of parachute looking pants have we seen with a pattern like this.......

Posted at 8:15PM on Jun 16th 2009 by Arkangel Trujillo

56. Wow what an egomaniac. So no one can put x's on their products???? When did he trademark a letter of the alphabet?!

Posted at 8:34PM on Jun 16th 2009 by Kim

57. He's effing kidding himself.

They are SIMILAR. Black, white, red and strait lines. THATS IT.


They're ALIKE, but NOT IDENTICAL.

He must really be hurting to SUE Nike over a SIMILARITY. Which is all it is. I hope a judge laughs and throws his case in the trash where it belongs.

Posted at 8:47PM on Jun 16th 2009 by spinner23

58. Tennis court... hah, I love it. That was awesome.

Posted at 9:25PM on Jun 16th 2009 by Alice

59. Haha that was pretty funny, tennis court. Nice

Posted at 9:27PM on Jun 16th 2009 by Clarissa

60. Oh, Christ... Nike is exactly ripping off the EVH "Frankenstein" trademark that has been exclusively his since the late '70s. How manny of you paparazzi-worshiping morons recognize that? You don't even need to be musicians to realize this flagrant infraction. That said, Ed, why destroy the shoes? Donate them to some shoeless kids in China. You'll get more publicity - and inspire some future guitarists. You're the best guitar player on the planet, Ed. You've inspired me exponentially as a musician.

Posted at 9:39PM on Jun 16th 2009 by nemesis26

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