Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1 Filed 04/21/16 Page 1 of 4

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND
JEZIGN LICENSING, LLC
4400 East-West Highway, Suite 811
Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4508,
Plaintiff,
v.
SKECHERS U.S.A., INC.
228 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, California 90266-5347
Serve on:
CSC-Lawyers Incorporating
Service Company
7 St. Paul Street, Suite 820
Baltimore, Maryland 21202,
Defendant.

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Case No.
JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

COMPLAINT
Jezign Licensing, LLC (Jezign) brings this patent-infringement action against Skechers
U.S.A., Inc. (Skechers).
Parties
1.

Jezign is a New York limited liability company, having its principal place of

business in Bethesda, Maryland.

2.

Skechers is a Delaware corporation, having its principal place of business in

Manhattan Beach, California.

Jurisdiction and Venue
3.
seq.

This action arises under the patent laws of the United States, 35 U.S.C. 101, et

Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1 Filed 04/21/16 Page 2 of 4

4.

This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action under 28 U.S.C.

1331 and 1338(a).

5.

This Court has personal jurisdiction over Skechers. Skechers conducts continuous

and systematic business in this District, and this patent-infringement case arises in part directly
from Skecherss continuous and systematic activity in this District. This Courts exercise of
jurisdiction over Skechers would be consistent with the Maryland long-arm statute and
traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.
6.

Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391(b)(1)-(2) and

1400(b).
Count 1 Infringement of U.S. Design Patent No. D554,848
7.

Jezign owns the exclusive rights in the ornamental designs claimed in United

States Design Patent No. D554,848 (the 848 Patent) (attached hereto as Exhibit A).
8.

Without Jezigns authorization, Skechers made, used, offered for sale, sold,

and/or imported into the United States shoes having designs that infringe the 848 Patent
(hereinafter the Infringing Shoes). The Infringing Shoes include at least the model named
Sporty Shorty Revv Air Flintz and shoes bearing the same or substantially similar infringing
designs, regardless of model name.
9.

The overall appearance and placement of the Infringing Shoes illumination

system within the sole is substantially the same as the design claimed in the 848 Patent.
10.

An ordinary observer will perceive the substantial similarity between the design

of Jezigns 848 Patent and the corresponding design of Skechers Infringing Shoes.
11.

The table below illustrates Skechers infringement by comparing a figure from the

848 Patent with an exemplary image of Skechers Infringing Shoes.

-2-

Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1 Filed 04/21/16 Page 3 of 4

848 Patent Figures

Exemplary Infringing Shoes:

Skechers Sporty Shorty Revv Air Flintz

12.

Jezign has been and will continue to be irreparably harmed by Skechers

infringement of the 848 patent.

Prayer for Relief
WHEREFORE, Jezign prays for the following relief against Skechers:
a.

Judgment that Skechers has infringed the ornamental designs claimed in

the 848 Patent;

b.

The total profit made by Skechers from its infringement of the 848 Patent
pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 289;

c.

Injunctive relief;

d.

Pre-judgment interest and post-judgment interest at the maximum rate

allowed by law; and

e.

Such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.
Demand for Jury Trial

Jezign demands a trial by jury on all matters and issues triable by jury.

-3-

Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1 Filed 04/21/16 Page 4 of 4

Date: April 21, 2016

Respectfully submitted,
/s/
Andrew D. Freeman (Fed. Bar No. 03867)
Albert Elia (Fed. Bar No. 14130)
Brown Goldstein & Levy, LLP
120 E. Baltimore St., Suite 1700
Baltimore, MD 21202
Tel: (410) 962-1030
Fax: (410) 385-0869
adf@browngold.com
aelia@browngold.com
Matthew M. Wawrzyn (pro hac vice pending)
Wawrzyn & Jarvis LLC
233 S. Wacker Dr., 84th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606
Tel: (847) 274-9844
matt@wawrzynlaw.com
Counsel for Plaintiff Jezign Licensing, LLC

-4-

Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1-1 Filed 04/21/16 Page 1 of 7

Exhibit A

Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document

1-1 Ill Filed
Page 2 of 7
Illlll llllllll
lllll llllll04/21/16
llll lllll lllll 111111111111111111111111111111111
USOOD554848S

c12)

United States Design Patent

c10)

Marston

(45)

(54)

ILLUMINATED SHOE LOWER

(75)

Inventor:

(73)

Assignee: Jezign, LLC, Bethesda, MD (US)

(**)

Term:

(21)

Appl. No.: 29/217,103

(22)

Filed:

Patent No.:
Date of Patent:

D520,722 S

Jez Marston, Silver Spring, MD (US)

14 Years

US D554,848 S
** Nov. 13, 2007

512006 Hlavacs ....................... D2/964

* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner-Dominic Simone

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cahn & Samuels, LLP.

(57)

CLAIM

The ornamental design for an illuminated shoe lower, as

shown and described.

Nov. 15, 2004

DESCRIPTION
Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/386,509,

filed on Mar. 13, 2003, now Pat. No. 6,837,590,
which is a continuation-in-part of application No.
09/963,787, filed on Sep. 27, 2001, now abandoned.
(51) LOC (8) Cl. ................................................. 02-99

(52) U.S. Cl. ......................................... D2/977; D2/964

(58) Field of Classification Search ................. D2/902,

D2/906-912, 946, 972-974, 964, 977; 36/25 R,
36/43
See application file for complete search history.
(56)

References Cited

s *
s *

A
A
A
A
Bl
Bl
B2
S *
S *
S *
S *

611979
11/1993
8/ 1994
8/ 1999
12/1999
212000
412000
10/2002
9/2003
12/2003
512004
512004
11/2005
3/2006

Dana, III
Forland et al ...............
Passke et al. ................
Sorofman et al.
Cheung
Yeal
Angelieri et al.
Crary
Sussmann
Waters
Edauw ........................
Edauw ........................
McDowell et al. . .........
Besanceney, III ............

FIG. 2 is a front view of the illuminated shoe lower shown

in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the illuminated shoe lower shown in

FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a left side view of the illuminated shoe lower

illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a right side view of the illuminated shoe lower

shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an illuminated shoe lower in

accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a right side view of the illuminated shoe lower

depicted in FIG. 6.

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,158,922
D341,478
D350,016
5,930,921
6,007,211
6,023,784
6,050,007
6,457,261
6,618,959
6,659,618
D490,220
D490,221
D511,618
D516,786

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the illuminated shoe lower

in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention.

D2/977
D2/946

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an illuminated shoe lower in

accordance with still another embodiment of the invention;

and,

FIG. 9 is a right side view of the illuminated shoe lower

illustrated in FIG. 8.

D2/908
D2/908
D2/977
D2/964

The broken lines in the shoe upper depicted in the drawings

are for illustrative purposes only and form no part of the

claimed design. The broken lines extending from the trans

lucent regions of the shoe lower indicate that those regions

are illuminated.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Sheets

Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1-1 Filed 04/21/16 Page 3 of 7

U.S. Patent

Nov. 13, 2007

Sheet 1 of 5

US D554,848 S

Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1-1 Filed 04/21/16 Page 4 of 7

U.S. Patent

US D554,848 S

Sheet 2 of 5

Nov. 13, 2007

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Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1-1 Filed 04/21/16 Page 5 of 7

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Nov. 13, 2007

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Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1-1 Filed 04/21/16 Page 6 of 7

U.S. Patent

Nov. 13, 2007

US D554,848 S

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Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1-2 Filed 04/21/16 Page 1 of 1

16-cv-1191, 16-cv-1192

Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1-3 Filed 04/21/16 Page 1 of 2

AO 440 (Rev. 06/12) Summons in a Civil Action

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

for the

District
of Maryland
__________
District
of __________
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JEZIGN LICENSING, LLC

Plaintiff(s)

v.
SKECHERS U.S.A., INC.

Defendant(s)

Civil Action No.

SUMMONS IN A CIVIL ACTION

To: (Defendants name and address) SKECHERS U.S.A., INC., 228 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach CA
90266-5347
Serve on:
CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company
7 St. Paul Street, Suite 820
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

A lawsuit has been filed against you.

Within 21 days after service of this summons on you (not counting the day you received it) or 60 days if you
are the United States or a United States agency, or an officer or employee of the United States described in Fed. R. Civ.
P. 12 (a)(2) or (3) you must serve on the plaintiff an answer to the attached complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of
the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The answer or motion must be served on the plaintiff or plaintiffs attorney,
whose name and address are:
Andrew D. Freeman
Brown Goldstein & Levy, LLP
120 E. Baltimore Street, Suite 1700
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Matthew Wawrzyn
Wawrzyn & Jarvis LLC
223 S. Wacker Dr., 84th Fl.
Chicago, IL 60606

If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint.
You also must file your answer or motion with the court.

CLERK OF COURT

Date:

04/21/2016
Signature of Clerk or Deputy Clerk

Case 8:16-cv-01193-TDC Document 1-3 Filed 04/21/16 Page 2 of 2

AO 440 (Rev. 06/12) Summons in a Civil Action (Page 2)

Civil Action No.

PROOF OF SERVICE
(This section should not be filed with the court unless required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 4 (l))
This summons for (name of individual and title, if any)
was received by me on (date)

I personally served the summons on the individual at (place)

on (date)

; or

I left the summons at the individuals residence or usual place of abode with (name)
, a person of suitable age and discretion who resides there,
on (date)

, and mailed a copy to the individuals last known address; or

I served the summons on (name of individual)

, who is

designated by law to accept service of process on behalf of (name of organization)

on (date)

; or

I returned the summons unexecuted because

; or

Other (specify):
.
My fees are $

for travel and $

for services, for a total of $

0.00

I declare under penalty of perjury that this information is true.

Date:
Servers signature

Printed name and title

Servers address

Additional information regarding attempted service, etc:

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