IP Law Daily, TRADEMARK NEWS: Converse and Nike seek declaration that marketing campaigns do not infringe Vermont media company marks, (Nov 17, 2025)

By Cheryl Beise, J.D.

The Vermont company has accused Nike and Converse of stealing its “Dear Love” and “Love, Kelly” common law marks to create “Love Chuck” and “Love, Hurts.” campaigns.

Converse Inc. and Nike, Inc. have filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Manhattan seeking a declaration that marketing campaigns do not infringe the phrases LOVE, KELLY and DEAR LOVE used by Vermont-based media company Love, Kelly Holdings LLC. Converse claims that it made good faith use of the terms “DEAR ___,” and “LOVE, ___” in connection with its independently created “Love, Chuck” marketing campaign and Nike claims that it has made good faith use of “LOVE, HURTS.” In connection with its independently created “Love, Hurts.” marketing campaign and apparel (Converse Inc. v. Love, Kelly Holdings LLC, No. 1:25-cv-09516 (S.D.N.Y. filed Nov. 14, 2025)).

Converse launched its “Love, Chuck campaign” in February 2025, which featured advertisements using a combination of either “DEAR ___,” with “LOVE, Chuck” or “DEAR Chuck,” with “LOVE, ___”, with imagery or short dialogue in the body of the advertisement. Chuck refers to Chuck Taylor, the inspiration for Converse’s classic Chuck Taylor shoes.

Around the same time that Converse’s campaign launched, and after the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC Championship game, Nike began developing a promotional campaign for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, a Jordan-brand sponsored athlete. Nike’s Jordan brand team decided to use of the phrase “LOVE, HURTS.”—which was intended “to double as a phrase signifying overcoming adversity and a tribute to Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love,” according to the complaint. After the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX and Hurts was recognized as the MVP of Super Bowl LIX, Nike launched the “Love, Hurts.” marketing campaign to celebrate Hurts’ victory and MVP award. Nike later released a line of sweatshirts and tee-shirts bearing the words “LOVE, HURTS.”.

The complaint alleges that multimedia company Love, Kelly Holdings LLC noticed the plaintiffs’ marketing campaigns and developed a scheme to garner attention for its brand by accusing plaintiffs on social media of stealing its purported LOVE, KELLY and DEAR LOVE, trademarks. The defendant has been designing apparel bearing the terms “Love, Kelly,” and “Dear Love” since March 2023. For the first time, in late August 2025, the defendant filed applications with the USPTO to register LOVE, KELLY and DEAR LOVE, as trademarks. In February 2024, the defendant’s principal connected with a New York-based Converse employee from its Entertainment Marketing team to stage its second fashion show at Converse’s (now former) flagship retail store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood in September 2024. Converse explains that its Entertainment Marketing team is a small team that connects with musical artists, fashion designers, and other influencers, but does not work on Converse’s global marketing campaigns.

The defendant subsequently sent a demand letter to the plaintiffs from its attorney and, according to the compliant, “instituted a social media campaign to publicize its claims that the plaintiffs ‘stole’ and ‘misappropriated’ Defendant’s ‘proprietary branding concepts’ to create their respective marketing campaigns.”

The plaintiffs claim that they developed their “Love, Chuck” and “Love, Hurts.” marketing campaigns independently, based on professional relationships with world-class athletes, without any input from the few employees that worked with the defendant in New York City.

The plaintiffs also assert that the defendant cannot claim protectible trademark rights in the commonplace terms “DEAR ___,” and “LOVE, ___”. “The defendant’s purported DEAR LOVE, and LOVE, KELLY marks are conceptually and commercially weak, and because they have not acquired distinctiveness, they do not function to identify Defendant as the source of its products and are therefore not legally protectable,” the complaint states.

Even if the defendant could claim trademark right in the terms “Dear Love,” and “Love, Kelly,” there is no likelihood of confusion with the plaintiff’s “Love, Chuck” and “Love, Hurts.” marketing campaigns. The defendant’s principal admitted that its purported marks are intended to convey the concept of connecting with consumers in the form of a love letter. The defendant has only had minimal sales of products bearing its purported marks.

Nike and Converse request a jury trial and seek delectations of no trademark infringement; specifically, that Converse’s use of “DEAR ___,” and “LOVE, ___”, including its Love, Chuck campaign, and that Nike’s use of “LOVE, ___”, including its use of “LOVE, HURTS.” in its Love, Hurts. campaign and apparel do not infringe the defendant’s asserted rights in the purported LOVE, KELLY and DEAR LOVE, trademarks. The plaintiffs also seek a declaration that the defendant has no common law rights in the purported DEAR LOVE, and LOVE, KELLY marks.

The Case is No. 1:25-cv-09516.

Attorneys: Tamar Y. Duvdevani, Marc E. Miller, and Emily Radin (DLA Piper LLP) for Converse Inc. and Nike, Inc.

Companies: Converse Inc.; Nike, Inc.; Love, Kelly Holdings LLC

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