Apple, Nike named in suit over Nike+iPod Sport Kit

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Apple, Nike named in suit over Nike+iPod Sport Kit

Leaper Footwear, owners of a 1998 patent covering “Performance measuring footwear”, has filed a lawsuit naming both Apple and Nike, claiming the companies’ Nike+iPod Sport Kit infringes on Leaper’s patent. In the complaint, Leaper claims that it contacted Nike in 2000, sending the footwear giant a copy of the patent and encouraging it to license and incorporate the technology into its running shoes; Nike reportedly responded by stating it had “no interest” in the technology. Leaper is seeking damages and a permanent injunction barring Apple and Nike from further infringement. Nike and Apple were previously named in a lawsuit filed by PhatRat Technology, also alleging patent infringement over the Nike+iPod Sport Kit.

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Funny, Leaper has almost no case. If you take a look at their patent, it was a fully integrated shoe. It used switches activated by the flex of the shoe to trigger the measurements. The Nike + iPod system is purely based off of an acceleramator, and it is not integrated into the shoe. It is independent of the shoe. Similar concept, totally different implementation.

Posted by SZRimaging on October 4, 2007 at 10:47 AM (PDT)

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