Kool Kiy Ordered to Pay Nike $1 Million in Bootleg Lawsuit
Nike and Kool Kiy nearly two-year-long legal battle has come to a conclusion.
In November 2022, Nike filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against By Kiy LLC’s Nickwon Arvinger, known as Kool Kiy. The sportswear giant accused Kool Kiy of selling imitation versions of the Air Jordan 1 and Dunk sneakers under his own brand.
On May 15, both parties reached a settlement in favor of Nike. According to the confidential agreement, Kool Kiy has been ordered to pay Nike $1 million. Interestingly, Kool Kiy continues to advertise the alleged copycat shoes on his Instagram, which might indicate that the settlement allows him to sell off his remaining inventory.
Nike’s legal actions did not stop with Kool Kiy. The company also pursued Bill Omar Carrasquillo of Reloaded Merch LLC, also known as “Omi in a Hellcat.” Nike accused Omi of “promoting, copying, and selling” lookalike versions of the Air Jordan 1 and Nike Dunk. Last month, the court issued a default judgment against Omi, ordering him to pay $8 million in damages.
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