Nike CEO Mark Parker is a shoe designer at heart, having come up through the design ranks at the sportswear giant.
So it’s not surprising the company has been on an innovation binge since he became chief executive in 2006.
Nike’s patent activity has surged on Parker’s watch from fewer than 100 per year to more than 500 each of the past two years.
It’s on pace for another 500 this year after the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office awarded the company 26 patents on Tuesday.
The patent surge reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation as well as an ongoing patent war in the sporting goods business. It’s been well received by Wall Street and helped the company distance itself from rivals Adidas AG and Under Armour Inc.
Source: kgw.com
