Judge Grants Nike Request to Stop Sales of Satan Shoes
April 01 2021 - 7:43PM
Dow Jones News
By Allison Prang
A federal judge granted Nike Inc.'s request to halt shipments of
the Satan Shoes, and the marketing company that released the
customized sneakers said it wouldn't proceed with plans to give
away the final pair.
U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee on Thursday granted Nike's
request for a temporary restraining order against MSCHF Product
Studio Inc., according to the court docket in the Eastern District
for New York. Lawyers for the two sides were in court earlier in
the day.
MSCHF last week released black-and-red sneakers with satanic
symbols in collaboration with Lil Nas X to promote the rapper's
latest song and music video. Nike filed a trademark lawsuit on
Monday and said it hadn't authorized the product.
As part of the campaign, Lil Nas X had tweeted that he would
pick someone on Twitter to get the 666th pair of Satan Shoes. The
$1,018 shoes quickly sold out and set off a social-media
uproar.
In a written statement Thursday, MSCHF described the Satan Shoes
as artwork and said Nike didn't file a lawsuit against the company
in 2019 when it modified another pair of Nike sneakers and called
them the Jesus Shoes.
"As a manifested speculative artwork Jesus Shoes conflates
celebrity collab culture and brand worship with religious worship
into a limited edition line of art objects," MSCHF said in a
written statement. "Last week's release of the Satan Shoes, in
collaboration with Lil Nas X, was no different."
MSCHF creates publicity stunts and viral marketing campaigns.
The Brooklyn company said it looked forward to working with Nike to
resolve the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified financial damages.
"MSCHF strongly believes in the freedom of expression, and
nothing is more important than our ability, and the ability of
other artists like us, to continue with our work over the coming
years," the company said.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 01, 2021 19:28 ET (23:28 GMT)
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