Let’s face it…we all knew LaVar Ball and his Big Baller Brand company were headed for tough times when they introduced a signature shoe for a high school basketball player (LaMelo Ball).
It didn’t take long for Ball’s company to be dealing with a copyright infringement claim that says LaMelo’s shoe closely resembles another popular shoe, Brandblack’s Rare Metal Thunder.
Here are details from USA Today:
According to Sporting News’ Nick Birdsong, that’s no coincidence – albeit one that won’t likely land the Ball clan in court.
While Big Baller Brand is independent, it worked with a third-party outfit to create its latest footwear release. Therein lies the connection. Renown sneaker reviewer and influencer “NightWing2303” was the first to report, via his YouTube page, that Big Baller Brand utilized a consultancy group, founded by Brandblack representatives, to aid in the design of the Melo Ball 1s. A Brandblack representative confirmed the report to SN Friday.
However, the bigger issue may have less to do with the look of the shoe than the letters on the tongue. Per CTV News’ Catherine Lathem, the owner of a Ottawa yoga studio could take legal action against the Big Baller Brand for copyright infringement.
Hana Engel, the owner of Modern Body, says her “jaw dropped” when she saw how closely BBB’s MB logo resembled her own, for which she has full copyright license in Canada and is awaiting approval in the U.S.
