Sneaker Designer Sued By Nike Turned The Lawsuit Into An NFT To Fight Back
Image via John Geiger
Nike is pretty notorious for having rigid rules when it comes to its intellectual property. One example in a string of lawsuits against designers who have flown a little too close to the Swoosh-shaped sun is John Geiger, whose GF-01 shoes landed him in hot water with the brand.
Filed in August, the lawsuit claimed that Geiger’s sneakers were too similar to Nike’s Air Force 1 shoes. “I’ve been very clear throughout the two years of developing and selling the GF-01 that this silhouette was inspired by Nike,” Geiger wrote in a public statement at the time.
“I’m preparing to fight this battle for all creator and underdogs fighting the same uphill battle as me,” he declared in his Instagram post.
Releasing In 30 Minutes... 🧩 pic.twitter.com/hPGC2z64uD
— John Geiger (@JohnGeiger_) May 21, 2021
One way of fighting back, it seems, is turning the entire situation into an NFT. Because, at this point in 2021, if it wasn’t made into an NFT, did it really happen?
JG Lawsuit NFT is a digital rendition of the GF-01 shoe in question, decked out in a completely white-and-silver color scheme. A copy of the lawsuit is included, printed and displayed boldly alongside the shoe and the John Geiger logo.
Image via John Geiger
Seeming to be waggling a finger in Nike’s face, the token more than implies that Geiger is not backing down.
Apart from the NFT, he’s also planning to release tangible items to each of the three editions of the token: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. And there might be even more to come: according to the designer, this is “just scratching the surface.”
The announcement of this token follows a report from early November that Geiger had filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the shoes didn’t use Nike’s signature tick, which he says is the most recognizable element of a Nike product.
[via Input, images via John Geiger]
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