Plaintiff is a visual artist residing in Portland, Oregon. In 2010, Plaintiff installed artwork at a Sole Classics shoe store in Columbus, Ohio. The work was registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Plaintiff asserts that the defendant in this copyright lawsuit, Vans, Inc., has incorporated his artwork without permission into one of Vans’ 2016 limited edition shoes, the Sole Classics x Vans Vault Half Cab LX “10 Seasons” (see Exhibit D below). Plaintiff alleges that Sole Classics licensed rights to Vans that it did not possess.
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Nichols v. Vans, Inc.
Court Case Number: 3:16-cv-02208-HZ
File Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Plaintiff: Jeremy Nichols
Plaintiff Counsel: Robert Swider, Alex Fund of Swider Haver LLP
Defendant: Vans, Inc.
Cause: Copyright Infringement
Court: District of Oregon
Judge: Marco A. Hernandez
Complaint:
The Defendants unsuccessfully applied to Plaintiff for use of the certification mark in connection with a product called “Flea Away DE.” Despite a refusal by Plaintiff, the Defendants used Plaintiff’s certification mark on their product.
Oregon Intellectual Property Blog 