Lidl banned from selling Birkenstock copycats in Netherlands

A Dutch court has ruled that the discount supermarket chain Lidl must stop selling copycat versions of Birkenstock sandals in the Netherlands. The court found that Lidl infringed on Birkenstock’s trademarked ‘footbed design’ across several models, including the Arizona, Madrid, Gizeh, Boston, and Florida styles.

In addition to the sales ban, Lidl faces a fine of €5,000 per day for non-compliance and is required to hand over sales data to Birkenstock. The retailer must also compensate Birkenstock for legal fees and damages, though specific amounts will be determined in subsequent court decisions.

Birkenstock stated the judgment sends a clear message that copycats should not be allowed to ‘free-ride on [our] creativity and innovation.’ The ruling follows previous legal actions regarding Birkenstock designs in the Netherlands and a European court decision regarding copyright protection for commercial products.