Peloton sues Lululemon in dispute over new apparel line
Exercise bike company Peloton has sued sportswear rival Lululemon in a bid to protect its new athleisure line from a trademark suit.
Lululemon, Peloton’s former co-branding partner, claimed that five Peloton products infringed its patents, before Peloton responded with its own lawsuit two days before Black Friday.
Peloton has claimed it has been selling apparel products since 2014, launching its own line in September after reaching an “amicable” termination of its co-branding relationship with Lululemon.
In the initial lawsuit, Lululemon said it was to sue over over infringement of its trademarks and trade dress, the distinctive visual appearance of its products and theft of trade secrets.
“Lululemon’s allegations lack any merit,” Peloton said in the complaint.
“Even a quick comparison of the Lululemon patented designs with the allegedly infringing Peloton products reveals numerous clear and obvious differences that allow the products to be easily distinguished.”
Lululemon spokesperson Erin Hankinson responded by saying the company has “requested that Peloton cease and desist selling a number of styles of apparel which we believe infringe upon Lululemon’s design patents.
We will defend our proprietary rights, to protect the integrity of our brand, and to safeguard our intellectual property.”
Peloton has had a difficult 18 months, with a vast number of complaints directed at the company’s line of treadmills and the Tread+ in particular.
In May, Peloton recalled the treadmill after it had come under fire from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and customers over the device’s safety. The product recall resulted in $4 billion being wiped off Peloton’s value after it had seen significant growth during the initial stages of the pandemic when gyms were forced to close.
