Vans sues Target over copyright infringement on sneakers

Vans is on a mission to prevent counterfeiting. Just days after the footwear brand slapped a lawsuit on Primark for copyright infringement, it filed a similar suit against Target. According to Vans, Target has made an effort to mislead shoppers into thinking its products are associated with the Vans label.

Filed in a California federal court, the new Vans lawsuit is in regard to its Vans Old Skool style. The same shoe was at the center of the lawsuit against Primark. Available in a variety of colors, the Old Skool was first introduced in 1977 and each iteration is united by a single curved stripe along each of its side. That side stripe is protected by trademark, and according to the Vans lawsuit , its “prominent placement and often-contrasted color make Vans’ shoes immediately recognizable to consumers even at far-off distances.”

Both Target and Primark utilized a side stripe in their products, though not exactly in the same shape as the original Vans stripe. The main difference in the products that consumers will likely notice is that the Target shoe retails for 15 dollars, while the original Vans Old Skool costs around 65 dollars on the brand’s site.

Additionally, Vans has pointed out that when shoppers search the term “women’s Vans shoes,” on the Target website, this item appears as a result. The brand points out in its lawsuit that this is misleading to shoppers and that “consumers will likely make the mistaken assumption that the infringing is, in fact, the result of a collaboration between Target and Vans.”