Lidl has been ordered to stop selling several Birkenstock-style sandals in the Netherlands after a court found they infringed Birkenstock's copyright. The District Court of Gelderland, sitting in Arnhem, issued an injunction preventing Lidl from offering versions of Birkenstock's Arizona, Madrid, Gizeh, Boston and Florida designs in the country.
Court Ruling Details
The ruling found that the Lidl sandals at the centre of the case infringed Birkenstock's copyright, particularly in relation to the distinctive design of the footwear's footbed. Lidl faces a €5,000 (£4,200) penalty for every day it fails to comply with the injunction.
The supermarket has also been ordered to provide Birkenstock with details of sales and orders relating to the affected sandals. In addition, Lidl must compensate Birkenstock for damages, with the amount to be decided in separate proceedings. It must also cover Birkenstock's legal costs, which will likewise be determined separately.
Scope and Background
The ruling applies to sales in the Netherlands and concerns sandals produced for Lidl by German manufacturer Rieg & Niedermayer. The decision is a first-instance ruling and can still be appealed.
Birkenstock welcomed the judgment and said it demonstrated that "copycats must not be allowed to free-ride" on its creativity and innovation. The company said it would continue defending its designs, retail partners and customers against unauthorised imitations.
Broader Legal Battle
The ruling is the latest development in Birkenstock's wider legal battle over lookalike versions of its footwear. In November 2025, a Dutch court also ruled that footwear retailer Scapino had infringed copyright in several sandals that resembled Birkenstock designs. That case involved the Madrid, Arizona and Florida models, while the court found that the Boston and Gizeh did not qualify for the same copyright protection in that particular case.
Birkenstock has also faced different outcomes in other European courts. Earlier in 2025, Germany's highest civil court ruled that Birkenstock sandals were functional products rather than works of art entitled to copyright protection. The latest Dutch judgment therefore adds to an ongoing debate over how far copyright protection can extend to the design of everyday products. Birkenstock said it would continue to "defend its rights vigorously" against companies selling imitations of its designs.
