Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded clothing, footwear, sportswear, and equipment supplier based in the United States.

The company was founded on January 25, 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, and officially became Nike, Inc. on May 30, 1978. Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Skateboarding, and subsidiaries including Cole Haan, Hurley International, Umbro and Converse.

Nike is highly recognized by its trademarks of "Just do it" and the Swoosh logo. The Swoosh was first used by Nike on June 18, 1971, and was registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on January 22, 1974.

Year Patents

1984 3

1985 6

1986 1

1987 1

1989 3

1990 2

1991 1

1993 5

1994 7

Year Patents

1995 8
Year Patents

1997 6
2005 24

1998 8
2006 29

1999 6
2007 20

2000 7
2008 24

2001 3
2009 30

2002 11
2010 55

2003 5
2011 61

2004 8

Total Number of Patents

334

US Patent 3793750 Describes an athletic shoe for artificial turf, invented by Bill Bowerman, Nike co-founder. The patent pictures show the famous waffle outsole in detail. US Patent 4098011 Describes cleats for artificial turf, invented by a group of three at BRS including Bill Bowerman, Nike co-founder. It describes a refinement of the waffle outsole US Patent 4183156 This patent, by Marion Frank Rudy, describes possible insole construction details used with numerous Nike AIR styles. US Patent 4219945 An invention by Marion Frank Rudy. Known to runners everywhere as that ultracomfy Nike AIR. US Patent 4255877 A design for an external counter that wraps around the heel, designed by Bill Bowerman, Nike co-founder.

US Patent 4271606 Another improvement in athletic shoes by the prolific inventor Marion Frank Rudy. A refinement of Nike AIR which involved arranging the outsole projections under the AIR chambers. US Patent 4287675 A New Balance design for heel counters.
US Patent 4288929 A New Balance design for a stabilizing plastic cup that partially surrounds the heel. US Patent 4297796 The Dellinger Web shock-dispersing device. Invented by William ("Bill") Dellinger and Ronald Stirtz. US Patent 4297797 It looks to me like the same basic idea as Nike AIR except using a fluid.

US Patent 4327503 A Nike design for a bi-level outsole, originally designed for cleats but also seen in basketball shoes.
US Patent 4335530 Describes an athletic shoe outsole with multiple sole densities. US Patent 4340626 A molecular trick that makes Nike AIR finish its inflation after they seal it. The combination of the inert gas molecules and the chamber materials make atmospheric air diffuse into the chamber. Yet another Marion Frank Rudy creation.

US Patent 4354318 A Nike design that incorporates a sidewall bead to increase stability.
US Patent 4364188 An insole design that features tubes of material that are stiffer than the remainder of the insole. Also discusses the possibility of user-adjustable tubes.

US Patent 4364189 The classic dual-density midsole: A stiffer medial layer, and a less firm lateral layer. (The patent includes comparisons to other shoes of the day, made by adidas, Nike, and Osaga [long gone].)
US Patent 4372058 Describes the AVIA Cantilever athletic shoe outsole. US Patent 4445283 A technology similar to Nike AIR except the chambers were shaped differently. US Patent 4584782 The first sport sandal patent by Mark Thatcher, inventor of the Teva. Mark's first design covered the design of a heel strap that could be folded forward (resulting in a "flip-flop") or wrapped around the ankle (to keep the sport sandal from flying off). US Patent 4793075 Another invention related to sport sandals, developed by Mark Thatcher. This patent covers the Teva "Universal" strapping system.

US Patent 4817304 Why Nike changed the design of Nike AIR athletic shoes so one could see the air chambers. It was not merely a decorative touch but it improves the function of the shoe. US Patent 4906502 A plastic-fabric composite sandwich structure inflated with Nike AIR inert gas. Appears to be the Zoom AIR design. According to inventor Marion Frank Rudy, this results in a more stable athletic shoe than the earlier designs. US Patent 4936029 An enhancement of the Nike AIR design that mixes crystalline material into the AIR capsule. According to inventor Marion Frank Rudy, this provides more stable pressurization throughout the life of the product. US Patent 4944310 The "Device For Treating Snoring Sickness," known to many satisfied (and frustrated) patients as CPAP.

US Patent 4989350 A Converse design for a high-top basketball shoe that featured plastic struts to prevent unwanted side-to-side motion.
US Patent 5042176 An enhancement of the Nike AIR design described in US Patent 4936029. According to inventor Marion Frank Rudy, this allows creating an AIR capsule that can be inflated with nitrogen. US Patent 5083361 Marion Frank Rudy makes additional improvements to the basic design described in US Patent 4906502. US Patent 5113599 Known to sneaker freaks everywhere as The Reebok PUMP. US Patent 5152082 A proposed high-top internal support structure that looked akin to a plastic picket fence.

US Patent 5247742 A motion control device developed by Nike that embeds a plastic serrated structure in the midsole. US Patent 5343639 A design for a user-tunable version of Nike Shox ("Son of Pump," anyone?) Also see US US Patent 5353459 The technique Nike uses when inflating the AIR styles that include a ring of highpressure inert gas surrounding a center of lower-pressure inert gas. These include the Air Max 2 running shoe series as well as certain Charles Barkley styles. US Patent 5353523 The design of the heel columns in Nike Shox shoes. US Patent 5572804 The design of the cup-shaped elements that put the "Tuned" in Tuned AIR. US Patent 5704706 The design of the LA Gear light GEAR cartridge.

US Patent 5713141 A method of combining polyurethane and EVA copolymer that results in a multilayer Nike AIR capsule with superior gas retention capabilities.

US Patent 5896683 A Nike design incorporating plastic outriggers molded to the upper. This design appears similar to the so-called "monkey paw" on some Nike styles.
US Patent 5952065 Refinements to US Patent 5713141. US Patent 6013340 Describes the methods of making a polyester polyol-urethane mixture used in the walls of certain Nike AIR capsules. US Patent 6406038 Covers the design characteristics of the wheel assembly in the "Heelys" brand of shoe. US Patent 6487796 A further improvement to the Nike Shox technology that shapes the columns to obtain enhanced lateral stability.

American engineer Marion "Frank" Rudy created the world's first shock-absorbing sole system for athletic footwear. Marketed by Nike as the "Air" system.
Inventor: Marion Franklin Rudy (US) Invention: Shock-absorbing cushion for shoes Sector: Sport Company: Nike

The Commerce Department's Patent and Trademark Office issued the 400,000 th design patent on October 27, 1998, for Nike Corporation's new Air Jordan athletic shoe design.

Nike has filed a patent for a self-lacing shoe. According to the patent, "the automatic lacing system provides a set of straps that can be automatically opened and closed to switch between a loosened and tightened position of the upper. The article further includes an automatic ankle cinching system that is configured to automatically adjust an ankle portion of the upper."

The brand owns numerous trademark registrations worldwide for its "NIKE" trademark.

Serial Number 1

Reg. Number 85527714 85527666 85518605 85012211 85081287 85181590 85213316

Check Status NIKEFUEL NIKE+ FUELBAND NIKE+ FUELBAND NIKE5 NIKEFUEL NIKE2UNE NIKE BETTERWO RLD N7 NIKE+ FUELBAND NIKE RECOVERY

Serial Number

Reg. Number 79101372 78856997

Check Status NIKELIFT NIKE IHM

11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

2 3
4 5 6 7

78801040
78613193 78528705 78528586

NIKE FREE
NIKEFREE NIKE NIKE NIKE MAXSIGHT NIKE LUNARLITE NIKE RECOVERY NIKE STABILFLEX

78514158
78872655 78872601 78848308

8 9

85178019 85081294 85114792

10

20

Serial Number 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Reg. Number 78411705 78248500 78222041 78191038 78406612 78228986 78228984 78228981 78222686 77653376

Check Status NIKE NIKE NIKE GRIND NIKE SPHERE NIKE SHOX NIKE VAULT NIKE VAULT NIKE VAULT NIKE GRIND

Serial Number 31 32 33 34

Reg. Number

Check Status
NIKE AEROGRAPHICS

77557936 77931037 77446637 77434883 77391208

NIKE NIKE+ SPORTBAND

NIKEFIT N7 NIKEID. NIKEFACTORYST ORE NIKEGOLF NIKE+ CARDIOMILES NIKE SST

35 36
37 38 39 40

77218391
77146617 77078429 77395347

NIKE PRO COMBAT

77209591

NIKE, Inc. filed a complaint against QiLoo International Limited, a Chinese company, on February 6, 2012 (case number 2:2012-cv-00191 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada), alleging infringement of 23 U.S. design patents.
The 80s hard-rock legends, Van Halen sued the sports manufacturer, claiming that a new line of trainers borrows from the design of Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat guitar. A line of Nike Inc (NKE.N) sneakers affiliated with pro basketball star LeBron James were accused of being "confusingly similar" to sneakers produced by streetwear maker Milkcrate Athletics Inc.