Insight certainty 5/5 debate potential 3/5

Diard: Patent protection is ultimately a matter of who has more money

Jean-Luc Diard · HOKA: Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud. The “Clown Shoe” That Became a $2B Bonanza · Feb 2, 2026 · at 46:34

Hoka co-founder Jean-Luc Diard reflects on the practical limitations of patent protection when competing against well-funded footwear incumbents.

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“Patents are always a matter of who has the biggest amount of money.”

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