Key facts
- Lidl must stop selling imitation Birkenstock sandals in the Netherlands.
- A Dutch court ruled Lidl infringed on Birkenstock's trademarked "footbed design".
- Lidl faces a daily fine of €5,000 for non-compliance.
- Lidl must provide sales data to Birkenstock.
- Lidl must compensate Birkenstock and pay legal fees.
A Dutch court has ruled that discount supermarket chain Lidl must cease selling imitation versions of Birkenstock's popular sandals in the Netherlands. The court found that Lidl's copycat designs infringed upon Birkenstock's trademarked "footbed design," specifically mentioning models such as the Arizona, Madrid, Gizeh, Boston, and Florida.
If Lidl fails to comply with the ruling, it faces a daily fine of €5,000 (£4,200). The company is also required to surrender sales data to Birkenstock and will need to compensate the sandal maker, with the exact amounts to be determined in subsequent legal proceedings. Birkenstock stated that the judgment sends a message that "copycats must not be allowed to free-ride on [our] creativity and innovation."