Columbia Sportswear granted preliminary injunction against Geox

OutDry Technologies, an Italian-based subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear,

was granted a preliminary injunction against footwear label Geox, for infringing on its waterproof, breathable footwear patent.

The court of Milan found that Geox Amphibiox branded shoes infringed on an OutDry patent, that was used to develop their waterproof-breathable footwear and authorized the seizure of a number of the Amphibiox. An injunction was also issued to prevent any further sales of the infringement footwear.

“We are very pleased with the ruling by the Court of Milan, and look forward to the next stage of the proceedings,” said Peter Bragdon, senior vice president of legal and corporate affairs for Columbia and OutDry.

“We believe strongly that OutDry technology provides superior performance in waterproof-breathable footwear, and the OutDry patent portfolio is critical to the protection and advancement of our innovative technology. We will continue to pursue infringing products aggressively.”

OutDry and Columbia Sportswear are currently pursuing a similar infringement action against Geox in Germany. The court's ruling is still subject to appeal from Geox S.p.A.