Adidas loses 4-stripe trademark battle to Thom Browne

Adidas had filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Thom Browne in 2021 (Image credit: adidas/Facebook)

Adidas has lost the trademark infringement lawsuit it filed against luxury fashion brand Thom Browne Inc.

The sportswear giant argued that Thom Browne’s four-stripe design was too similar to its own three-stripe logo, BBC reported. A New York jury sided with Thom Browne, the fashion designer behind the eponymous label, after a nine-day trial, ruling that Adidas could not stop him from using the four-stripe design.

Adidas had sought nearly $8 million in damages and losses from Thom Browne, according to WWD. The company indicated it would continue the fight to stop Thom Browne from using the parallel stripe design, which has been used several times in the luxury brand’s history.

Browne, a highly creative designer known for his theatrical runway shows, began selling clothing in 2001 at a boutique in Manhattan. His brand has since expanded to over 300 locations worldwide, including Tokyo, London, Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Milan.

Thom Browne was sued by Adidas in 2021. Adidas said his “four-bar signature” and other products featuring parallel stripes infringed on its own well-known trademark.

Adidas argued that Browne's stripes could confuse customers. Browne’s legal team, in turn, argued that the two companies are not direct competitors and don’t serve the same market. His lawyers also argued that stripes are a common design.

Thom Browne emerged smiling from a New York courthouse Thursday after winning the trademark battle, the Associated Press reported.

“It was important to fight and tell my story,” Browne told The Associated Press. “And I think it’s more important and bigger than me, because I think I was fighting for every designer that creates something and has a bigger company come after them later.”

Adidas said it was “disappointed” with the verdict.

(With inputs from AP)