Shoe and athleticwear competitors Nike and New Balance are taking their rivalry to court in a lawsuit over patented footwear manufacturing technology.Oregon-based Nike sued Boston-based New Balance in federal court in Massachusetts on Monday. In the complaint, Nike accused New Balance of using its patented technology for manufacturing the upper portion of its shoes without permission. Nike calls the technology, “Flyknit” and describes it as “a novel method of designing and manufacturing shoe uppers, which enables Nike to create footwear with excellent performance, design, and aesthetics—all while reducing materials and waste.”Additionally, Nike’s lawsuit states the company sent New Balance three letters this year about the infringement claims. They say New Balance has not stopped using the technology.”New Balance continues to introduce new and additional knit footwear styles,” Nike’s attorneys wrote in the lawsuit. “New Balance’s infringement is accelerating in breadth and scope despite notice from Nike.”Through the lawsuit, Nike seeks damages to compensate them for the infringement and an injunction prohibiting New Balance from using the technology.In a statement, New Balance rejected Nike’s claims. “New Balance fully respects competitors’ intellectual property rights, but Nike does not own the exclusive right to design and produce footwear by traditional manufacturing methods that have been used in the industry for decades. We will vigorously defend ourselves against Nike’s attempts to enforce its patents beyond their lawful scope,” a New Balance spokesperson said. According to Nike’s lawsuit, the company has previously used the courts to enforce its Flyknit patents against PUMA North America, Adidas and Lululemon USA.