If you’re going to splatter the colors red, white and black across any surface in the near future, you better check with Eddie Van Halen first.
Nike found that out the hard way after getting sued by the guitarist for using the color scheme on one of their Dunk Lows sneakers. In 2001, Van Halen copyrighted the design pattern that’s become synonymous with the “Frankenstrat” guitars he’s been using for the past 30 years.
In the federal lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles last week, Van Halen accuses Nike of doing "irreparable harm and damage" to what he considers his signature design (Jackson Pollack may disagree), asking not only for monetary compensation but for “the impoundment and destruction of all footwear.”
A spokesperson for the sportswear company has responded, “Nike’s Dunk shoe design is not substantially similar to any of the Van Halen designs, and Nike has not referenced the ‘Van Halen’ name or image as part of any marketing campaign or promotional material associated with the shoe.”
Meanwhile, some suspect the whole brouhaha is just a way to draw attention to Van Halen’s own footwear line, EVH Shoes, which debuted a few months back and feature Chuck Taylor knockoffs with Van Halen’s copyrighted design.