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Nike Suing Former Designers Who Joined adidas For Sharing Secrets

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Nike is suing three former shoe designers, Marc Dolce, Denis Dekovic and Mark Miner for stealing its commercial secrets and sharing it with their competitor, the trio’s new company, adidas. The sum of the lawsuit is about a $10 million case.

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A lawsuit filed in Oregon where Nike is headquartered claims at least $10 million in damages. The world’s largest sportswear maker said the former designers, Marc Dolce, Mark Miner, and senior design director Denis Dekovic, started consulting for Adidas while still working at the company, violating their non-compete agreements.

Nike said the designers hatched their plan last April, and pitched Adidas on a design studio that would help craft products while also bringing Adidas information about Nike’s plans for the next few years in its running, sportswear and soccer lines.

The plans for the studio were essentially for a knockoff of Nike’s own design lab, called the Kitchen, according to the complaint.

Adidas bought the studio idea and offered the designers lucrative employment contracts, Nike said. The project, called the Brooklyn Creative Design Studio, is set to open early next year.

An Adidas representative said the company attracts top talent and has “no interest in old work or past assignments.”

Nike’s spokesman declined to comment further on the case, but said the company will “vigorously” protect its intellectual property.

Before leaving Nike, the complaint alleged, the designers copied sensitive design and business documents from their computers, including drawings for an unreleased shoe made for one of Nike’s sponsored athletes.

The suit accused the designers of trying to hide their tracks by erasing incriminating emails and text messages from their work-issued cellphones and laptops.

Nike also claimed that Adidas knew of the non-compete agreements and promised to pay for any legal fallout. The agreements barred the designers from any connection with Adidas during their employment and for one year after. – Reuters

Mario Briguglio
Mario Briguglio
Founder and Editor in Chief. My passion for sneakers started at age 6 and now I've turned my passion into a profession. Favorite Kicks - Air Jordan 3 "Black Cement"

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