Van Halen Sues Nike for His Signature Design

Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen is suing Nike for their use of the unique, patented color scheme that is exclusively attached with the classic rock band.

The red, white and black splatter associated with his popular "Frankenstrat" guitar has become a signature of the band, which Nike seems to have duplicated without Van Halen's permission on their newly released NYX Nike Dunks. "Nike's Dunk shoe design is not substantially similar to any of the Van Halen designs, and Nike has not referenced the 'Van Halen' name or image as part of any marketing campaign or promotional material associated with the shoe," said a Nike spokesperson. But Nike is defending their design and claiming no similarity with the tri-colored stripes.

To add more fuel to the fire, the guitarist recently released his own line of sneaks sporting the splatter and he is claiming "irreparable damage and harm" to his shoe line thanks to Nike. Oddly enough Van Halen's line sports a shoe style similar to Converse's All-Stars, creating a potential lawsuit for Van Halen if a contract for the design doesn't exist.