Puma Outsteps Nike in EU Court Clash Over Smart Sneakers (1)

Nike Inc. lost the European Union trademark rights to “footware” in a dispute over the use of a capitalized version of the word that pitched it against German sports gear rival Puma SE.

The European Union’s General Court upheld Puma’s earlier victory at an EU trademark appeals panel, which voided a trademark application from Nike’s innovation unit for the label.

The spat follows a complaint by Puma, which, among other arguments, claimed that Nike’s use of the word could lead to an interpretation of it as a type of software or technology for the feet.

Puma said it’s ...