NEW YORK, Dec 26 (Reuters) - LL Bean, the clothing and

outdoor gear company, agreed to stop selling a line of casual

shoes to settle a lawsuit in which Skechers USA ( SKX ) accused

it of copying a design for its own shoes, which have sold in the

millions.

U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett in Manhattan approved

an injunction on Thursday that bars privately-held LL Bean from

making, importing or selling shoes that infringe two Skechers

design patents until the last of the patents expires.

In a complaint filed in July, Skechers claimed that LL

Bean's Freeport shoes, named for that company's Maine hometown

and which retailed for $99, infringed two patented designs for

"heel cups" that surround the back of the foot.

The world's third-largest footwear company accused LL Bean

of trying to piggyback on the success of its own unique heel cup

design, which it said incorporated "graceful, sweeping, gently

rolling lines and slopes" that resembled the shape of a heel.

Other settlement terms were not disclosed. Skechers had also

sought unspecified damages. Its patents expire in 2038,

according to the complaint.

Neither LL Bean nor its lawyers immediately responded to

requests for comment. Skechers and its lawyers did not

immediately respond to similar requests.

LL Bean was founded in 1912. Skechers was founded in 1992

and is based in Manhattan Beach, California.

The case is Skechers USA Inc ( SKX ) et al v LL Bean Inc, U.S.

District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-05336.