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Adidas loses three-stripe trademark battle
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Adidas has lost a legal battle over a possible misuse of its three-stripe logo. It complained against the U.S. fashion brand Thom Browne, which uses a four-stripe logo. Adidas said the four stripes were too similar to its logo. Adidas claimed $7.8 million in damages. However, a jury decided in Thom Browne's favour. It said consumers were unlikely to confuse the two brands, as they were capable of distinguishing between different numbers of stripes.
Thom Browne makes high-end clothing and has worked with many top fashion companies. In 2020, it designed a scarf for Joe Biden's "Believe in Better" fashion collection. The dispute with Adidas goes back to 2007, when Browne used a three-stripe design on a jacket. Adidas protested and Browne switched to four stripes. Browne said its design was not a problem because the companies are in different markets and their products are priced differently.
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Company Logos - Level 5
Adidas has lost a legal battle over what it thought was an infringement of its three-stripe logo. It made a complaint against the American fashion brand Thom Browne, which uses a four-stripe logo. Adidas said the four stripes were too similar to its three stripes. It filed a lawsuit and claimed $7.8 million in damages. However, a New York jury decided in Thom Browne's favour. It said the four stripes did not infringe on Adidas' logo. It added that consumers were unlikely to confuse the two brands, as they were capable of distinguishing between different numbers of stripes.
Thom Browne was founded in 2001. It creates high-end clothing and has collaborated with many top names in the luxury fashion business. In 2020, it designed a scarf as part of Joe Biden's "Believe in Better" fashion collection. The dispute with Adidas goes back 16 years. Browne used a three-stripe design on a jacket in 2007. After Adidas protested, Browne switched to four stripes. Browne said confusion between the two designs was unlikely because the two companies "operate in different markets, serve different customers, and offer their products at strikingly different prices".
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Company Logos - Level 6
Sportswear giant Adidas has lost a courtroom battle over a perceived infringement of its trademark three-stripe logo. Adidas lodged a complaint against the American luxury fashion brand Thom Browne, which uses a four-stripe logo on its clothes. Adidas claimed the four stripes were too similar to its three stripes and filed a lawsuit. It attempted to claim more than $7.8 million in damages. However, a jury in a Manhattan court decided in Thom Browne's favour. It declared that the four stripes did not infringe on Adidas' logo or reputation. Jurors decided that consumers were unlikely to confuse the two brands, as they were capable of distinguishing between three and four parallel stripes.
Thom Browne is a New York-based fashion house founded in 2001. It caters to the high-end fashion market and has collaborated with many top names in the world of luxury apparel. The brand made a name for itself in 2020 by designing a scarf as part of Joe Biden's "Believe in Better" fashion collection. The dispute with Adidas dates back 16 years. Browne used a three-stripe design on a jacket in 2007. After Adidas protested, Browne switched to a four-stripe pattern. Thom Browne maintained that confusion between the two designs was unlikely because the two companies "operate in different markets, serve different customers, and offer their products at strikingly different prices".
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