Lululemon sues Peloton over alleged ‘copycat products’

Lululemon sued Peloton on Monday over what it called “copycat products” in the exercise equipment company’s new clothing line. 

Lululemon Athletica Inc., a Canadian apparel company, filed the suit against Peloton Interactive, Inc. in a federal court in California, claiming it “willfully” infringed on six Lululemon design patents.

“We are confident in our position and look forward to properly resolving this case through the courts,” Shannon Higginson, Lululemon’s general counsel and chief compliance officer, said in a statement to The Hill on Tuesday.

The feud between the fitness brands came after Peloton launched an apparel line earlier this year, shortly after it requested to end a co-branding relationship with Lululemon. That partnership had been in place since 2016.

“Unlike innovators such as lululemon, Peloton did not spend the time, effort, and expense to create an original product line. Instead, Peloton imitated several of lululemon’s innovative designs and sold knock-offs of lululemon’s products, claiming them as its own,” the suit filed Monday said.

The lawsuit comes just days after Peloton sued Lululemon in Manhattan federal court, claiming it did not infringe on Lululemon’s designs. That lawsuit claimed that Lululemon was only entering the legal battle because of Peloton’s financial success. 

“On top of the numerous clear and obvious differences in design, Peloton and Lululemon’s brands and logos are also distinctive and well-recognized, making confusion between products a virtual impossibility,” Peloton argued in their suit filed Wednesday.

On Nov. 11, the apparel company sent a cease-and-desist letter about the alleged infringement to Peloton. Peloton said it needed more time to respond to this letter but filed its own lawsuit instead, the complaint said. 

The Hill has reached out to Peloton for comment.