Adidas loses Stripe Trademark battle to Luxury Brand Thom Browne

Adidas lost a trademark case it filed against Thom Browne, seeking to stop the American designer from using four stripes logo on its products.

The sports clothing and accessories maker claimed that the luxury brand Thom Browne’s logo, which has four stripes was too similar to that of Adidas’ signature three stripes trademark. Browne’s designs feature four horizontal, parallel stripes, usually on the arm of the apparel.

Adidas also sought USD 7.8 million in damages from Browne, but the New York court ruled in favour of the latter.

Browne argued that buyers were unlikely to be confused between two brands because of the difference in the number of stripes, among other reasons. The designer’s legal team also argued that the two brands serve different customers.

The two brands cater to different consumers, as Browne’s designer wear is aimed at luxury buyers, while Adidas makes affordable sportswear. For example, a winter jacket shirt from the designer will set you back by GBP 2000 and a shirt by GBP 300.

Adidas filed a formal case against Browne in 2021, but the tiff between brands is over 15 years old. In 2007, Adidas complained about Browne’s three-stripe logo, so the designer changed it to four stripes. Browne has grown bigger since then, with stores at over 300 locations, and has even added sportswear to its lines, further irking Adidas.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the LatestLaws staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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