According to the BBC report, German sportswear and lifestyle brand Adidas had lost its legal battle to prevent a fashion designer from using a four-stripe pattern, which is usually associated with the Adidas logo.
The report explained that the sportswear giant claimed Thom Browne Inc.’s four stripes were too similar to its three stripes.
Browne maintained that because his brand had a different number of stripes than the other, among other factors, consumers were unlikely to mix the two brands.
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Adidas had intended to seek damages of more than $7.8 million, but a New York jury decided in favour of Browne.
According to the BBC, Browne usually uses four horizontal, parallel stripes to encircle the sleeve of a garment or, as is frequently the case with the designer himself, a sock.
Three stripes are a common feature in Adidas designs.
The defence team for Browne positioned him as the underdog going up against a powerful corporation and contended that the two brands catered to different markets.
Thom Browne Inc.’s designs are not dominated by sportswear, and its target market is affluent consumers. For instance, a pair of women’s compression leggings costs 680 pounds, while a polo shirt costs 270 pounds.
According to the BBC, Browne’s attorneys also contend that stripes are a typical pattern.
Although Adidas first filed a lawsuit in 2021, the conflict between the two businesses has been going on for more than 15 years.
Adidas voiced their displeasure in 2007 when Thom Browne started using the three-stripe pattern on jackets. With the addition of a fourth stripe, Browne decided to discontinue using it.
Since then, Thom Browne Inc. has rapidly grown and is currently available in more than 300 places globally. According to the BBC, the company has recently started producing more sports apparel.
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