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Footware company Crocs loses EU design invalidity appeal

By Douglas Clarke-Williams ( April 22, 2026, 15:31 GMT | Insight) -- Footwear manufacturer Crocs lost an appeal against a finding of invalidity for the design for its rubber shoe. The General Court of the EU ruled that the addition of an ankle strap was not enough to make Crocs’ product sufficiently distinctive from a similar early design by Canadian company Holey Soles.Footwear maker Crocs has failed in its effort to overturn an earlier finding of invalidity by the EU Intellectual Property Office against its registered design for an open-backed rubber clog-style shoe with holes on the upper surface. In a ruling on Wednesday, the EU General Court agreed with the EUIPO that the Crocs design was too similar to an earlier model by Canadian company Holey Soles....

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