The United States Postal Service recently put out a statement against Nike’s upcoming release of its Priority Mail inspired Air Force 1 Experimental.
“The Postal Service, which receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations, protects its intellectual property,” the statement read. “Officially licensed products sold in the marketplace expand the affinity for the Postal Service brand and provide incremental revenue through royalties that directly support it. Sales of unauthorized and unlicensed products deny support to the hardworking women and men of the Postal Service.”
Although the official USPS logos were absent, the AF1 shoe’s design includes the signature red, white, and blue color scheme and a shipping label on the heel.
“This is an unfortunate situation where a large brand such as Nike, which aggressively protects its own intellectual property, has chosen to leverage another brand for its own gain,” the statement continued. “The Postal Service is disappointed in Nike’s response to repeated attempts to come to a solution. The Postal Service will take whatever actions it deems necessary to protect its valuable IP rights.”
The controversy between the USPS and Nike arrives on the heels of Nike’s lawsuit against Brooklyn-based company MSCHF over its Air Max 97 “Satan Shoes” over trademark infringement. MSCHF designed the controversial shoes in collaboration with Lil Nas X. A judge awarded the shoe giant a restraining order, even though the shoes had sold out after immediately being placed on sale.
Nike has not responded.
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