Converse settles lawsuit by black fraternities

Converse has settled a lawsuit over trademark infringement.

North Andover-based Converse will share sales revenue from shoes bearing the colors and founding dates of black fraternities and sororities to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by the Greek organizations, Converse and the groups said today.

The organizations will drop the lawsuit they filed in federal court in Dallas in 2003, and Converse will pay them a percentage of revenue on each product sold that bears the trademarks of the organizations. Additional financial details of the multiyear licensing agreement were not disclosed.

A Dallas-based federal judge had dismissed the lawsuit. But last spring the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals overturned part of the ruling and returned the case to court. (Associated Press)