Peloton lost its lawsuit seeking a court declaration that it did not infringe on Lululemon’s intellectual property.
Last year, Peloton announced that it would start selling its own line of athletic apparel. Toward the end of 2021, Lululemon sent Peloton a cease-and-desist letter threatening to sue unless Peloton stopped selling certain products that Lululemon claimed were copycats.
Lululemon ended up going through with legal action, and Peloton responded by asking for a court declaration claiming it did not infringe on any of Lululemon’s patents on the basis that its merchandise does not mimic Lululemon’s designs. Peloton lost that legal battle last week, as a judge dismissed Peloton’s lawsuit.
According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter in Manhattan called Peloton’s lawsuit “anticipatory action,” and that Peloton went back on an agreement with Lululemon to settle the issue out of court by suing.
Now that this issue is settled, Reuters reported that the original legal proceedings of Lululemon versus Peloton will likely continue in Los Angeles, where it will be decided whether or not Peloton did, in fact, rip off Lululemon’s designs.
Before launching its own apparel line, Peloton had a co-branding deal with Lululemon. Once that ended, Peloton created its own apparel, including four bras and a pair of leggings that Lululemon felt were too similar to its own designs.
Lululemon is known for being one of the most influential brands in athleisure right now, so it’s no surprise that Peloton wanted to make similar products. But, when things are too close to original designs, it goes past inspiration and gets into legal hot water.
