Years after the case was originally filed, clothing and sportswear giant Adidas lost the legal battle with a designer named Thom Browne regarding its iconic three-stripe logo, which has been featured on all its clothing and merchandising for several years.
The legal battle, which is as old as 15 years, finally came to an end on Friday after the court ruled in favour of Thom Browne Inc. regarding the trademark three-stripe logo of the sportswear company.
The sportswear giant argued that luxury brand Thom Browne Inc’s four stripes were too similar to its three stripes, the BBC reported. Browne argued that shoppers were unlikely to confuse the two brands as - among other reasons - he had a different number of stripes.
Adidas had planned to ask for more than $7.8 million in damages -- but a jury in New York sided with Browne. Adidas claimed that shoppers can get confused between the logos of the two companies, which can further damage sales.
What is Adidas vs Thom Browne case?
Adidas, around 15 years ago, had filed a case against designer Thom Browne and his clothing company, saying that the logo of the company is too similar to that of the sportswear giant. The company decided to sue Browne for damages in the case.
Browne’s designs often feature four horizontal, parallel stripes, encircling the arm of a garment or - as frequently seen on the creator himself - a sock, BBC reported. Adidas’ designs often see three stripes.
Thom Browne and his team of lawyers presented themselves as an underdog company willing to take on a massive clothing giant, arguing that the two companies serve different types of customers, with the judges eventually swinging in their favour.
Sportswear does not dominate Thom Browne Inc’s creations and its output is aimed at wealthy customers - for example, a pair of women’s compression leggings cost 680 pounds, while a polo shirt goes for 270 pounds.
Will Adidas have to change its logo?
According to the verdict delivered by the court, there is no need for Adidas to change its logo. It might opt to do so in the future if it still believes that the similarity with Thom Browne might cause confusion, but it is not pronounced by the court.
The court, however, said that Adidas cannot ask Thom Browne Inc to change its company logo, saying that it is not bound to cause any confusion among the target consumers of both brands.
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