The lawsuits between celebrity Kanye West and Walmart are piling up. On Thursday in a Los Angeles Superior Court, West accused mega-retailer Walmart of knocking off his popular foam runner sliders. A month ago, Walmart sued West for his Yeezy brand logo, which the giant retailer claims violates copyright laws since it looks similar to their logo.
Court papers state the Walmart version of the Yeezy foam sliders is "virtually indistinguishable" from a more pricey Kanye West version. The company is profiting from the billionaire entertainer's name.
The lawsuit states the Yeezy brand is worth billions of dollars and that the company believes the Walmart knockoff of the foam sliders has cost them many millions.
Court documents state the Kanye West brand is suing Walmart for hundreds of millions of dollars and requests a jury trial.
West alleges Walmart is piggybacking on his global success as an "American icon" by copying his unique, iconic foam sliders.
The lawsuit includes names of high-powered celebrities such as West's ex-wife Kim Kardashian, Snoop Dogg, and Justin Bieber, who created a viral buzz for the shoes since they were seen in photos wearing them.
The Yeezy Foam Runner clog hit the fashion scene in 2019 and was priced at $75. The shoes were so popular they sold out quickly and then spawned numerous updated Yeezy versions.
Currently, these Yeezy shoes are priced in resale outlets for between $500 - $800.
The alleged knockoff footwear was sold on the Walmart site for $23.99 by a third party, Daeful.
In the lawsuit, West said Yeezy previously sent numerous warnings to Walmart, demanding the retailer immediately remove the knockoffs from their website. The lawsuit states Walmart has not complied.
In a statement regarding the new Yeezy shoe lawsuit, Walmart said that the retailer is not directly selling these copies and that a third-party seller is selling them.
"We take allegations like this seriously and are reviewing the claim," the statement read. "We will respond in court as appropriate after we have been served with the complaint."
Third-party marketplace sellers create copyright legal nightmares for major retailers such as Walmart, especially since consumers purchase goods via Amazon, where participating retailers do not always discover counterfeit items for sale.
In 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered a counterfeit shipment of footwear and other accessories worth $9.3 million at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Among the knockoffs were Yeezy shoes.
As to who is ultimately responsible for knockoffs sold under a retailer's online platform, a case from 2010, Tiffany vs. eBay, offers one opinion.
In that case, the U.S. Second Circuit appeals court decided the online marketplace selling counterfeit goods didn't necessarily have an "affirmative obligation to police for counterfeit goods" sold on its online site.
Mega-retailers such as Walmart provide an online form for companies claiming infringement of their intellectual property on Walmart.com. The I.P. claim form on Walmart's site allows companies to submit "claims of copyright, trademark, patent, publicity and counterfeit."
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