Nike sues Lululemon over sports tech patents

Nike sues Lululemon over activity-tracking tech in the Mirror Home Gym. Lululemon is already duking it out with Peloton.

Mirror Home Gym. Photo: Mirror.

Nike sues Lululemon over sports tech patents

Lululemon is suing Peloton. Peloton is suing Lululemon. And now, Nike is suing Lululemon?

Nike is accusing Lululemon of patent infringement, but this isn’t about leggings.

The lawsuit pertains to Mirror Home Gym, a device for live and pre-recorded at-home workouts that Lululemon bought in 2020, per CNBC.

Nike says it’s the king of sports tech mountain

Nike’s complaint states that it’s been making digital sports tech since 1983, when it filed a patent for a device that tracked a runner’s speed, distance, time, and expended calories.

Since then, Nike’s gone on to create numerous digital products and apps that it says attract 75m+ active users.

Nike claims Lululemon’s Mirror infringes on 6 patents, which broadly include activity-tracking devices that:

  • Prompt 2 users in different locations to compete in a challenge
  • Instruct users based on heart rate
  • Give users “streak awards” based on performance
  • Let users share their activity to social media

Lululemon’s response asserts that Nike’s patents are “overly broad” and therefore invalid. And if that sounds familiar, it’s because my, how the tables have turned!

When Lululemon claimed certain Peloton leggings and sports bras infringed on its patents, Peloton countersued, saying that Lululemon’s patents were invalid for the same reason.

Interestingly, one of the leggings Lululemon mentioned in its complaint is a Peloton collab with Nike. Meanwhile, Lululemon received its own patent for a new shoe line coming later this year.

Drama!

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