An appeals court has affirmed a trademark ruling in Peloton’s favor related to the “Bike+” name.
Back in May 2021, World Champ Tech sued Peloton over the Bike+ name – since WTC had an app named “Bike+” they released in 2014. They felt that the “Bike+” product, which Peloton released in 2020, infringed on their trademark.
Three years after the initial lawsuit as filed, a judge ruled in Peloton’s favor.
Following a denied motion for reconsideration, World Champ Tech filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in April 2024 – asking that the appeals court reconsider the ruling.
More than a year later, the appeals court has made its ruling – and reaffirmed the ruling of the lower court. This ruling in favor of Peloton found that consumers were not likely to be confused by the names.
The judges noted many factors going into the decision to rule in Peloton’s favor – one of which is there was no actual evidence shown of consumer confusion. They state:
The products have coexisted in the marketplace for years, and hundreds of consumers have downloaded WCT’s Bike+ app during that time.Yet WCT has no evidence that any of them has experienced any confusion
The judges also note that the domain names, as well as names & descriptions of the app, help prevent confusion:
The Apple App Store displays the app producer’s name alongside the app name and icon, which reduces the potential for any confusion as to who produces each app
While the case notes that one or two factors were in WTC’s favor, such market strength and proximity of goods, that “other factors overwhelmingly favor Peloton” (such as those noted above).
The judgement ends by saying that “no reasonable trier of fact could find that confusion is probable, so WCT’s claims fail as a matter of law.”
Support the site! Enjoy the news & guides we provide? Help us keep bringing you the news. Pelo Buddy is completely free, but you can help support the site with a one-time or monthly donation that will go to our writers, editors, and more. Find out more details here.
Get Our Newsletter Want to be sure to never miss any Peloton news? Sign up for our newsletter and get all the latest Peloton updates & Peloton rumors sent directly to your inbox.
Leave a Reply