Legal representatives for Bose Corp. and Beats Electronics decided to squash a lawsuit alleging patent infringement that was filed in July.
According to Billboard, Bose claimed in the suit that Beats infringed on multiple patents of the company's noise-cancelling headphones. Bose even went as far as filing a complaint with the International Trade Commission in an effort to stop the distribution of Beats Studio and Beats Studio Wireless headphones in the U.S. Attorneys for Beats filed a motion to dismiss the patent infringement lawsuit until the ITC findings are revealed. The Commission is currently investigating the claim.
The NFL recently banned players from wearing Beats headphones, stating that the restriction "extends to TV interviews conducted during pre-season training camps or practice sessions and on game day—starting before the opening kickoff through the final whistle to post-game interviews conducted in the locker room or on the podium. The restriction remains in place until 90 minutes after the play has ended," Recode reports. Apparently, the league has an exclusive deal with Bose and they want to accommodate that relationship properly.
"The NFL has longstanding policies that prohibit branded exposure on-field or during interviews unless authorized by the league. These policies date back to the early 1990s and continue today," a spokesperson said in a statement. "They are the NFL's policies - not one of the league's sponsors, Bose in this case. Bose is not involved in the enforcement of our policies. This is true for others on-field."
Over the summer, Beats headphones were also banned for players at the World Cup due to FIFA's exclusive deal with Sony.
Apple bought Beats in May for $3.2 billion.
